Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi has introduced major reforms to modernize the judicial system in the country to maintain transparency and fairness as well as establish high standards of judiciary.
The aim of this move is to ensure effective delivery of justice to the citizens and litigants, keeping in mind the needs of them.
A statement issued by the Supreme Court said that the Chief Justice introduced advanced information technology in the system to make Pakistan’s judicial system effective, efficient and modern.
Under the new information technology system, electronic affidavit (e-affidavit) has been introduced, which will simplify the system of filing cases as well as the procedure for obtaining certified copies for lawyers and litigants.
Keeping in view the importance of the role of the district judiciary, the Chief Justice also visited remote areas where he observed the resources and problems faced by the courts.
The announcement said that a public opinion system has also been established with regard to litigants, civil society and lawyers to promote transparency and public confidence.
To maintain transparency in appointments, Justice Yahya Afridi has constituted several committees comprising senior judges and Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan.
The main objective of establishing the committees includes monitoring the process of appointments to the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and the Supreme Judicial Commission Council (SJC).
The committee for the appointment of the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission will be headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, while Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Shahid Waheed will also be part of the interview panel. The provincial chief secretaries will nominate candidates for the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission.
A committee comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel and the Attorney General was formed to appoint the Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the body established for the appointment of judges.
Similarly, the committee for the appointment of the Secretary of the Supreme Judicial Council will consist of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Akhtar and the Attorney General of Pakistan.
The above committees will interview the candidates, which will include the Chief Justices of the 5 High Courts and the serving and retired district and sessions judges nominated by the Chief Secretaries of the provinces.
On the other hand, in a separate development, the Pakistan Bar Council elected Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich from Lahore as its Vice Chairman for the year 2025, while adding Muhammad Tariq Afridi from Peshawar as a member of the Executive Committee.
