Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Friday said the performance of the lower judiciary was not satisfactory, as corruption and delays in case proceedings had damaged the trust of people in the judiciary. He called upon all the stakeholders in the judicial system to ensure providing speedy justices in the country and eradicate the problems of delay through effective implementation of the National Judicial Policy (NJP).
He was addressing a meeting with the chief justices of provincial high courts and judges of the Sindh High Court (SHC) to examine effective implementation of the National Judicial Policy. The chief justice said the National Judicial Policy provided a path for reforming the administration of justice across the country in order to achieve the goal of expeditious and inexpensive justice for all.
“The policy articulates strategies for the independence of judiciary, eradication of corruption, clearance of backlog and quick dispensation of justice.” The chief justice said particular attention needed to be given to timely disposal of criminal cases, especially the cases of under trial prisoners languishing in jails.
“Urgency has been accorded to cases involving violation of fundamental rights and restraint on liberty/freedom of individual. Certain categories of cases, having close nexus with economic development and good governance, have been prioritised in the policy,” he said, adding that it included disputes pertaining to trade, commerce, investment, taxes and duties.
‘Performance of lower judiciary unsatisfactory’
