Bill moved in Senate to amend FJA Act

ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Law and Justice, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, moved a bill to further amend the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) Act, 1997, reducing the burden of the chairman (chief justice of Pakistan) by transferring his authority to take action under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 1973.

The amendment will transfer the authority to the director general of the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) to deal with cases of the the academy’s staff from BS-1 to 16. The act shall come into force at once.

Statement of objects and reasons of the bill states: scope of the functions of the academy is enhanced by including the lawyers and other government officers connected with the administration of justice in Section 4 (a) and (b) of the act. The amendment is proposed to Section 11 of the act XXVIII of 1997; in the said act, in Section 11, sub-Section (2), the words ‘with the approval of the chairman’ shall be omitted.

For Clause (a), these shall be substituted: (a) orientation and training of new judges, magistrates, law officers, court personnel, lawyers and such other persons, who, in any manner, are connected with the administration of justice, and for Clause (b), these shall be substituted. (b) In-service training and education of judges, magistrates, law officers, court personnel and such other persons, who, in any manner, are connected with the administration of justice.

“Thus the amendment to the section is proposed by including lawyers and such other persons were concerned with the administration of justice. Moreover, the burden of the chairman i.e. Chief Justice of Pakistan is also proposed to be reduced by transferring his authority to take action under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 1973, in case of staff of the academy from BS-1 to 16 to the director general of FJA,” it says.

Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani referred the bill, along with other bills, to the relevant committee of the House for deliberations and report.