NJPMC supports evidence-based judicial reforms to strengthen transparency, access to justice and accountability
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yayha Afridi presides over the 61st meeting of the National Judicial Committee (Policy Formulation) in Islamabad. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The National Judicial Policy Development Committee (NJPMC) has approved in principle the National Judicial Reform Framework, aligned with the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, describing it as an important step towards evidence-based reforms aimed at improving Pakistan’s justice system, according to a Supreme Court (SC) press release issued on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at the 61st meeting of the committee, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. The press release said the framework seeks to “strengthen accessibility, transparency and predictability” in the justice system through “measurable performance standards, internationally recognized benchmarks and a robust institutional mechanism for continuous performance evaluation.”
The NJPMC said judicial reforms should increasingly be driven by “objective data, measurable outcomes and internationally accepted standards” to “promote institutional excellence, strengthen public trust and ensure continuous improvement in the delivery of justice.”
According to the Supreme Court, the meeting was attended by chief justices of high courts, while Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Justice participated as special guests. Representatives of Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association were also present.
The committee resolved that high courts may adopt the National Judicial Reform Framework along with the International Framework for Judicial Excellence (IFCE) Self-Assessment Checklist, with modifications where necessary.
He said the high courts would establish mechanisms for periodic evaluations and quarterly reports on the progress of the reform to ensure sustained implementation.
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The committee also directed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) Secretariat, in coordination with the Ministry of Law and Justice, to establish a dedicated implementation cell. Progress on the framework will be reviewed at the next NJPMC meeting on October 8.
The press release stated that the LJCP Secretariat had been tasked with identifying and validating rule of law indicators for gradual integration into the National Judicial Analysis Panel (NJAD), in consultation with the high courts and other institutions in the judicial sector.
The secretariat will also develop, with the support of the National Information Technology Board (NITB), a technology platform to generate regular progress reports, coordinate capacity-building initiatives and conduct annual assessments of Pakistan’s performance under the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index.
The committee also reviewed the progress of the proposed Commission on Enforced Disappearances. The law minister informed the meeting that former Supreme Court judges were being considered to head the commission and said its composition and terms of reference would be finalized soon.
The NJPMC welcomed the government’s measures and highlighted “strict compliance with the legal requirement of producing detained persons before the competent court within the prescribed period.”
Concluding the meeting, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to “sustained judicial reforms, strengthened institutional coordination and improved access to justice through innovation, evidence-based governance and technology-enabled service delivery.”
