The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (L&JCP) has underscored the importance of legal reforms, particularly in the Code of Criminal Procedure and Family Laws, highlighting that these reforms are crucial for ensuring that the justice system remains relevant and effective in addressing the evolving needs of society. These reforms will help streamline legal processes, protect citizens’ rights, and promote fairness and justice in the dispensation of justice.
The meeting of the LJPC was held here at the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP), while Justice Yahya Afridi, the Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman, LJCP, was in the chair.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justices of the Federal Shariat Court, all the High Courts, the Attorney General for Pakistan, the Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice and the Interim Chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women. Khawaja Haris Ahmed, Mr. Kamran Murtaza, and Mr. Muhammad Munir Paracha Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court of Pakistan also participated.
The Commission appreciated the proposed legislative amendments in the family laws and acknowledged that these amendments would facilitate early resolution of family disputes and improve service delivery of family courts.
The Commission also emphasized the need to amend the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, 1984, to ensure the admissibility of evidence procured through modern devices and technologies. The Commission also considered the issue of conflicting judgments on a subject and observed that such judgments create confusion and undermine the principle of precedents, which subordinate courts are required to follow.
The Commission also reviewed the draft LJCP Employees (Terms and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2025, and constituted a committee comprising the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court and Muhammad Munir Paracha, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Member of the Commission, to review the proposed rules and present its report to the Commission.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Pakistan / Chairman, Governing Body, Access to Justice Development Fund (AJDF) chaired the 21st meeting of the Governing Body, AJDF. The Governing Body, AJDF, reviewed the Fund’s overall performance, implementation status of previous decisions, and funds released under various windows of the Fund.
The Governing Body was informed that since inception of the Fund in 2005, Rs. 904.7 million were released to the High Courts for infrastructure development of the district judiciary and Rs 166.5 million for execution of special projects in underdeveloped Districts.
However, during the last fourteen months, i.e., from July 2024 to September 2025, the Fund recorded a substantial surge in activity and an amount of Rs. 1,462.3 million was disbursed for infrastructure development and provisions of court-related amenities for litigants, lawyers and judicial officers.