ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday observed that the constitution of commissions in suo motu and human rights cases by the Supreme Court of Pakistan was inconsistent with functions of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) and sought a detailed briefing in this regard.

During a brief session with the LJCP, the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice was apprised that 20 commissions had been recently constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court on human rights issues and in suo motu cases.

The sub-committee, headed by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, observed that “constituting a commission is not included in the functions of the LJCP and this area needs to be looked into in detail”.

The parliamentary panel’s meeting was attended among others by Senator Musadik Masood Malik, officials from the LJCP and the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The committee was examining “the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan Ordinance, 1979” to improve its effectiveness and contributions to the judicial system.

The committee was told that the LJCP was headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and chief justices of high courts, Federal Shariat Court, Attorney General of Pakistan, secretary of law and justice ministry and some eminent lawyers are its members. The LJCP apprised the committee that in last few months, it prepared 138 reports. Out of these reports, 64 had been implemented, but 74 have yet to be implemented.

The committee was also informed of the working and administrative structure of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2019