CJP appreciates role of Justice Development Fund in capacity building

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Governing Body, Access to Justice Development Fund (AJDF), was held on Monday in the Conference Room of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The meeting was chaired by the chief justice of Pakistan/chairman, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. Chief justices of all the high courts, including Islamabad High Court, respective Puisne judges of all the high courts, secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan attended the meeting.

The secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Raheem Awan, gave a brief overview of the Access to Justice Development Fund, its mandate, functioning and the status of funds released to the high courts for specific purposes. The chief justice of Pakistan appreciated the role of fund in capacity building and infrastructural development of the subordinate judiciary throughout Pakistan.

The chief justice of Pakistan/chairman, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan reiterated that the under resourced judiciary would be strengthened and supported through AJDF for important infrastructural development, automation and other projects for subordinate courts that are not otherwise provided in the regular budget.

The chairman, LJCP, stressed upon the need for timely and effective utilisation of the funds released to respective high courts. Members of the Governing Body appreciated the Secretariat of Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan for taking good care of the investment of the fund as per the Government of Pakistan approved policy and the allocation of profit to high courts, district legal empowerment committees, under developed regions and the federal and provincial judicial academies. The chief justice of Pakistan/ chairman urged the LJCP Secretariat to explore possibility of provision of funds for the establishment of centre of excellence to be established in Federal Judicial Academy and Research Centres in District & Sessions Courts.

The Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, Justice Athar Minallah, emphasised that for better and effective use of District Legal Empowerment Committees, there is need to create awareness about this useful forum in public. While discussing development initiatives in the under developed regions under the funds provided by the LJCP, the chief justice of Pakistan desired that respective high courts should improve the conditions in under developed districts by utilising funds from the Judicial Development Fund and the additional funds released for the under developed districts should be used for the projects identified by the respective high courts.

During the meeting, Nadra team headed by its Chairman, Usman Mobeen, briefed about video-linking of subordinate courts with the superior courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan with its branch registries. While discussing the funding option, the committee desired that the Secretary, LJCP, may submit a proposal and mechanism for funding for video linking of courts across the country. The secretary, LJCP, presented the complete status of funds released to respective high courts up to the Financial Year 2017-18 and briefed on future allocation that was unanimously approved by the committee.

The chief justice of Pakistan with the consent of all the members of Governing Body of the AJDF approved the release of funds to the Islamabad High Court and the federal & provincial judicial academies.

Finally, the chief justice of Pakistan appreciated the Secretariat of Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan for better management of the fund and thanked all the participants for their valuable contribution towards the Governing Body proceedings.