Islamabad:
The National Committee of Judicial Carenndand (NJPMC) has approved uniform deadlines for the elimination of several categories of civil and criminal cases under a new regime destined to guarantee rapid justice and reduce cases of cases.
The 54th Meeting of the NJPMC, which has been Monday at the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the presidency of the President of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, eliminated on key policy issues, when reviewing the state of implementation of decisions taken at its 53rd meeting.
The meeting was attended by the main judges of all the superior courts, while Pakistan Attorney General (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan attended a special invitation.
According to a detailed press release issued after the meeting, the committee, while recognizing “the commendable efforts” made by the higher courts, established specific deadlines for the elimination of cases, which vary from two months to two years, depending on the nature of the dispute.
The Forum also supported the introduction of a double memory judicial regime to accelerate the hearings and strengthen judicial efficiency.
According to the prescribed deadlines, the declaration demands related to land disputes must be decided within 24 months, while inheritance disputes must be resolved in 12 months. The lawsuits in court in land disputes should conclude within six months.
The recovery demands that deal with public income or money issues must be completed in 12 months, while specific performance demands (contract application) must be eliminated within 18 months.
Rental cases are required to be completed in six months, while family costumes, including dissolution issues, dowry, maintenance and guardianship, are also decided in six months. Succession cases (unconstributed) must be wrapped in two months.
The Committee also prescribed timelines for the elimination of execution requests. He decided that the decrees of the Family Court will be decided in six months; Bank Court decrees in 12 months; The Decrees of the Civil Court in 12 months, while rental matters will be decided in three months.
On the criminal side, the cases involving youth criminals under the Law of the Youth Justice System, 2018, will be decided in six months; The trials with punishment of up to seven years will be completed in 12 months, while the essays with punishment of more than seven years will be involved in 18 months.
The NJPMC has granted 24 months, two years, to the courts of first instance to decide the judgments for murder.
“These deadlines would be considered as one of the key performance indicators in the evaluation of judges’ performance and would be built on the board,” the statement added.
By establishing these uniform deadlines, the NJMPC aims to contribute consistency to the judicial process and address long data concerns about the delays in the elimination of cases. The authorities said the measure reflects the commitment of the Judiciary to strengthen the rule of law and improve public confidence in the justice system.
The NJPMC unanimously reiterated the need for an integral mechanism to guarantee the production of any person detained before the magistrate within 24 hours to stop cases of forced disappearances.
The committee unanimously reiterated its resolution to strengthen institutional capacity, accelerate access to justice and guarantee the efficient and effective delivery of justice.
He also emphasized the need for an integral mechanism to guarantee the production of people detained before a magistrate within 24 hours. The AGP said that this mechanism would be developed and placed before the committee at its next meeting.
The committee also praised the superior courts for formulating standard operational procedures (SOP) to safeguard judicial independence, but emphasized the inclusion of deadlines on stage from the presentation of complaints to the final action.
It was decided that all these instances of strange influence will be informed within 24 hours and the shares in this regard will be ended within 14 days. SOP must also provide immediate repair measures to safeguard the dignity of the plaintiff.
In addition, a reporting mechanism for the CJP for information and intervention was desired, when necessary. The superior courts will notify the SOP and share the same with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP).
The Committee appreciated the substantial progress achieved by the superior courts to strengthen the framework of commercial litigation, recognizing the CLC initiative as an important step to promote a robust and efficient commercial litigation framework.
To address the problem of prolonged litigation and precautionary measures in commercial, income and prosecutors, a committee was formed to write recommendations.
The committee led by the judge of the Supreme Court Shafi Siddiqui, includes Judge Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Superior Court of Lahore, Judge Agha Faisal, of the Superior Court of Sindh, Judge Arshad Ali of the Superior Court of Peshawar, the president of the Federal Income Board (FBR).
“The Committee will also examine the AGP suggestion regarding the problems derived from the recognition and application of foreign arbitration awards and impose their recommendations at the next meeting,” the statement said.
The NJPMC expressed its appreciation for the progress made by the SHC and the PHC in the establishment of Model Criminal Courts. He pointed out that these efforts would contribute significantly to improve access to justice and guarantee their effective and timely delivery.
It was also observed that such initiatives reflect a strong institutional commitment to continuous improvement to make the justice system focus on citizens.
The forum, although it appreciated the efforts made by the LHC in the establishment of Model Civil Courts, decided that the higher courts can pilot the initiative of the oldest civil cases in chronological order.
“The higher courts can determine the number of model courts in each district taking into account the number of objective cases. The district and the session judges can assign such cases to model civil courts under a regime of trial in time,” he added.
The committee also deliberated on jail reforms and decided to share the reports of the provincial subcommittees and the prison reform action plan with the superior courts for their opinion. A national prison policy will be formulated and placed before the next meeting.
