ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Thursday undertook transformative reforms to modernise judiciary and establish it as a model institution that upholds fairness and transparency as well as accessibility to meet standards for judicial excellence. The step also aims to ensure that the justice system remains citizen-focused and responsive to the litigants’ needs.

An official announcement said that advanced information technology systems have been integrated to enhance judicial efficiency, including the e-Affidavit system, which streamlines filing processes, reduces delays and ensures transparency, and a Case Management System enabling litigants and lawyers to instantly access certified case copies, eliminating traditional dispatch delays.

To promote transparency and public trust, feedback mechanisms involving legal practitioners, litigants, and civil society have been introduced, it said.

Recognising the vital role of district judiciary, the CJP paid visit to remote and underserved districts to assess grassroots challenges, enhance institutional capacity and address resource gaps, ensuring equitable access to justice and strengthening public confidence in the judicial system.

To uphold transparency and meritocracy in filling vacancies, the CJP has constituted several committees, comprising senior judges and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, to oversee the selection of key appointments, including secretaries of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The committee tasked with selecting the LJCP secretary is chaired by CJP Afridi and has Justice Ayesha A. Malik and Justice Shahid Waheed as its members to interview the candidates nominated by the chief secretaries of the provinces.

The committee for selection of the JCP secretary consists of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and the AGP.

Likewise, the committee that will select the SJC secretary comprises Justice Shah, Justice Akhtar and the AGP.

These committees will interview the candidates, including serving and retired district and sessions judges, nominated by the CJs of the five high courts and chief secretaries of the provinces.

In a separate development, the Pakistan Bar Council elected unopposed Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich from Lahore as its vice chairman for the year 2025 while Muhammad Tariq Afridi from Peshawar as a member of its executive committee.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2025