Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday said the people considered the judiciary their saviour and the judicial policy’s advantages had started reaching the citizens.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) in Quetta, Chief Justice Chaudhry said after implementation of National Judicial Policy, the disposal rate as well as performance of the justice institutions had improved considerably. The judges were making extra efforts to meet the targets of the policy, he said.
The CJ said judges were always mindful of the fact that “not only justice should be done, it must also be seen as having been done” and for this reason, high courts were asked to direct district and sessions judges to physically verify each and every pending case (i.e. cases instituted up to December 31, 2008) across districts for situation analysis.
He said decisions in the country should be made on the basis of merit, adding that it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure the dispensation of justice.
Moreover, the chief justice said the solution to the people’s problems lay in rule of law, adding that a just society was vital to the development of a strong economy.
“We are trying to deliver justice to the people at their door steps,” Chief Justice Chaudhry said.
He added that the number of pending cases had also declined in subordinate courts. Talking about conditions of prisons, he said a strong exception to the deteriorating conditions of jails had been taken and it been realized that there was a dire need for reforms in jails in order to provide an environment to convicts that made them responsible and law abiding citizens after serving their sentences. The CJ said an independent and strong system of administration of justice ensured stability, rule of law and good governance in the society. “No one can deny that the good governance, in turn leads to socio economic development by generating commercial activities and investment opportunities,” he said.