March 10, 2002	Sunday	Zilhaj 25, 1422

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LAHORE, March 9: The Pakistan Law Commission is to be expanded and converted into a ‘judicial policy-making body,’ Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad told the Chief Justices’ Committee here on Saturday.

The commission is headed by the chief justice of Pakistan and consists of the chief justices of the high courts and the Federal Shariat Court, the attorney-general and the federal law secretary. It suggests legal reforms to make the law respond to the changing requirements.

The commission is now to be assigned the role of judicial policy making body, according to the CJP. It is likely to include representatives of a cross-section of society.

The Pakistan Bar Council has been demanding establishment of a judicial commission to oversee appointments to the superior judiciary but it is not clear whether the PLC expansion and new role are the government’s response to the PBC demand.

CJP Shaikh Riaz Ahmad told the Chief Justices’ Committee, which met at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry, that the next PLC meeting would consider its expansion and conversion.

The CJC meeting was mainly devoted to the Asian Development Bank assistance for the government’s ‘access to justice’ programme. The bank has committed $350 million for the programme. The first tranche of $100 million has already been received.

Chief justices of the high courts were asked to prepare proposals for development of the subordinate judiciary along with the funds required. The CJP advised them to draw up working papers on the future requirements and submit them within a fortnight for budgetary allocation through the provincial governments.

The CJC meeting was attended by FSC Chief Justice Fazle Ilahi Khan, CJ Syed Saeed Ashhad of the Sindh High Court, CJ Raja Fayyaz Ahmad of the Balochistan High Court, CJ Falak Sher of the Lahore High Court, CJ Shakirullah Jan of the Peshawar High Court, former Supreme Court judge Shafiur Rahman, SC Registrar MA Farooqui, Hamid Sharif, the principal ADB counsel, Dr Douglas Porter, the ADB governance specialist, Livingston Armitage of the Asia Foundation and Law Ministry’s joint secretary Zakir Muhammad Johar.