• Senior puisne judge joins CJP-convened full court via video link from abroad
• Registrar presents updated statistics showing 59,191 pending cases
• Civil and criminal cases to be resolved by specialised two- and three-member benches

ISLAMABAD: A full court meeting of the Supreme Court on Monday adopted the Case Management Plan 2023 — a brainchild of senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah — to address the growing backlog of cases in the top court.

The meeting, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, reviewed a one-month case management plan under the one devised by Justice Shah, which establishes clear standards and integrates information technology to effectively manage all categories of cases.

Convened by the CJP, the meeting was attended by all SC judges, including Justice Mansoor Shah, who joined via video link from abroad.

The focus was to evaluate the Supreme Court’s performance in institution and disposal of cases, with an emphasis on reducing case backlog and improving judicial efficiency. Registrar Jazeela Aslam provided a comprehensive overview of the current caseload and outlined steps for timely case resolution.

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The registrar presented updated statistics, showing that 59,191 cases were pending, and introduced the newly devised one-month plan based on the Case Management Plan 2023 prepared by Justice Shah. The plan includes setting clear standards and employing information technology to streamline case management across different categories.

Discussing the plan, the judges explored a variety of strategies to meet its goals. Criminal and civil cases, as outlined in the monthly plan, were allocated to specialised two- and three-member benches to expedite case resolution.

The judges also shared additio­nal insights and recommendations to improve the system, reaffirming their commitment to addressing the backlog of cases.

Justice Shah, participating via video link, proposed further strategies aimed at reducing the case backlog and enhancing procedural efficiency, initially through the one-month plan, followed by three-month and six-month plans.

CJP Afridi thanked all the judges for their commitment to fully implementing the case management plan. Progress will be reviewed in the next full court meeting scheduled for Dec 2.

Since assuming office, CJP Afridi constituted a new three-judge committee under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act (SCPPA) 2023, comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar. The committee was formed under Section 2 (1) of the SCPPA, as amended by Ordinance No. VIII of 2024.

CJP Afridi has also scheduled a meeting of the administrative judges of ATCs, along with progress reports on Nov 7, in the Supreme Court. Additionally, a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) is scheduled for Nov 8.

In a move to improve transparency, CJP Afridi ordered the expansion of live-streaming services to additional courtrooms within the Supreme Court, with the plan to implement this across all courtrooms, pending necessary approvals and resources.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024