Inclusive justice to help all litigants get representation: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi Friday met with a delegation of lawyers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Supreme Court Branch Registry, Peshawar.

He was accompanied by the Peshawar High Court chief justice and Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court registrars.

The delegation included representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, High Court Bar Association, and 35 district bar associations across the province.

According to a press release, the chief justice briefed the delegation on the justice sector reforms being pursued through the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), highlighting that for the first time, bar representatives had been granted membership in the Commission to strengthen participatory decision-making in the legal policy.

He also shared key decisions from the recent meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), which included the issue of enforced disappearances and formation of a dedicated response committee; directives to High Courts to establish safeguards against external interference with judicial officers; and establishment of Commercial Litigation Corridors and Model Criminal Trial Courts to ensure speedy case disposal.

The other reforms included time-bound adjudication in 13 categories of cases, piloting of a double-docket court regime, court-annexed mediation, introduction of a Professional Excellence Index, standardization of district judiciary appointments and training, biometric case verification, video link attendance for under-trial prisoners and witnesses, ethical guidelines for AI use, and improved judicial welfare measures.

The chief justice expressed concern over the lack of basic infrastructure in underdeveloped districts, particularly the absence of solar power and digital connectivity, and emphasized targeted interventions to bridge regional disparities in justice delivery.

In a major step toward inclusive justice, he announced a new legal aid initiative to bring inclusivity to ensure that no litigant remains unrepresented.

Financially distressed litigants will now be provided with legal representation at all levels from the magistrate courts to the Supreme Court at the state expense.

The bars may nominate competent lawyers to the relevant Judges.

The chief justice further encouraged the bar members to benefit from Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs at the Federal Judicial Academy and instructed them to make most of the program.

He attentively heard the issues raised by the delegation and assured the bar representatives of his commitment to addressing their concerns in coordination with relevant institutions.