HARIPUR, April 18: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan has said steps are afoot to improve the quality of justice and restore the confidence of people in the judicial system.

He was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected office-bearers of the Haripur District Bar Association on Friday. The number of judges in lower courts had already been increased to ensure speedy justice and decide pending cases, he said, adding: "What we are now focusing on is bringing about more improvement in the quality of justice."

He said ex parte decrees and dismissal in default of cases were being discouraged as, according to him, these practices brought no relief to litigants, but added to their problems and hardships.

For improving performance of judges, a monitoring and evaluation cell had been set up at provincial level to observe and point out deficiencies in this regard, he said.

Shakirullah Jan said that since the Bench and the Bar had strong working relationship, both were equally responsible for the dispensation of justice to the litigants. "A lawyer is equally responsible for dispensing justice as much as a judge," he added.

Mr Jan said lawyers must extend support to courts so that speedy justice could be provided to the people. He told the lawyers that free computers and internet facility were being provided to all the bars in the province by the ministry of science and technology. The chief justice also announced the establishment of a copying department which would start functioning soon.