LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed the provincial secretary of school education department to form a committee to make efforts to control physical bullying, cyberbullying and harassment of children at the educational institutes.

Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order hearing a public interest petition filed by a female lawyer, Sibah Farooq and her school going daughter, seeking direction to the authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure a safe educational environment in the schools in the province.

At the outset of the hearing, School Education Department Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal appeared before the court. He stated that the government was already taking steps under the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2014 and the Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) Ordinance, 1984, to check bullying in schools.

Assistant Advocate General Usman Khan submitted that the authority concerned made certain proposals for stopping such bullying, however, the court may further expand the relevant provisions of the law to strengthen the concept of safe educational environment in all the schools.

Barrister Ahmad Pansota, the petitioner’s counsel, stated that the Child Protection Policy was already in the field and if the court intervenes, the scope of the said policy may be further strengthened in light of the jurisprudence developed by the superior courts from time to time.

Justice Hassan observed that the court wanted to protect and promote the child justice system as also envisaged by the Supreme Court on various occasions hearing a number of similar cases.

The judge noted that the school education secretary is the official head of all the educational institutions in the province and has full mandate to propose legislation, policy formulation and planning in various fields related to education, as specified under the rules.

The judge summoned the Punjab Child Protection Bureau, Lahore, chairperson on the next date to inform the court in writing whether the Child Protection Policy is sufficient for stopping bullying and harassment in schools.

Justice Hassan ordered the provincial secretary to form a committee, which will make efforts for control of physical/cyberbullying and harassment of the school-going children in the educational institutes and through its online forums.

The committee will consist of experts from the relevant fields, including the petitioner and her counsel. The judge adjourned the hearing till Nov 21.

Training: The Punjab Judicial Academy (PJA) on Monday launched a five-day training programme for the judicial officers of the province on the concepts of forensic, medico-legal, autopsy, arms and ammunition analysis.

The programme aims to educate the additional district & session judges, senior civil judges and the civil judges on the latest techniques and best practices in forensic analysis and insight.

In his address during the inaugural session, PJA acting Director General Hafeezullah Khan spoke on the importance of continuous learning in the field of law. He said the academy’s training programmes were designed to ensure judges stay updated on the latest developments in civil and criminal laws.

He highlighted that the current training programme covers a range of topics, including forensic analysis, medico-legal practices, postmortem reports, arms and ammunition analysis.

He pointed out that experts from various fields had been invited to deliver lectures and lead discussions, ensuring that the participants of the training receive comprehensive guidance and hands-on experience.

The director general also emphasized the importance of carefully listening to litigants and creating a conducive environment for them to express themselves. He said the judges should listen to litigants with patience and empathy and avoid discouraging them.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024