Public trust in judiciary is earned, not inherited or proclaimed: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Khan Afridi on Saturday said public confidence in the judiciary must be earned through integrity, competence, fairness and compassion, stressing the need to strengthen institutions that enable judges to work independently and confidently.

“Public confidence in the judiciary is neither inherited nor proclaimed. It is earned,” Justice Afridi said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.

He said the district judiciary was the backbone of the justice system and, for most citizens, represented their first contact with a state institution.

“If we aspire to strengthen the public confidence in the judiciary, we must continue to strengthen the institutions within which our district judiciary serves,” he said.

District judiciary at the centre of reform

Justice Afridi said the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) had taken several steps to address the needs of judicial officers and improve facilities at district courts across the country.

He said that after assuming office, he visited judicial posts in Booni in Upper Chitral, Gwadar, Sadiqabad, Fort Abbas and Nagarparkar to understand the challenges faced by the district judiciary in remote areas.

The visits, he said, revealed a disconnect between the district judiciary and the NJPMC, particularly in the processing of development projects.

Justice Afridi said projects originating from district courts previously took more than three to four months to secure approval. By the time approval was granted, he said, increased costs often meant the projects could not be completed.

The NJPMC subsequently decided to appoint additional secretaries for each province from the district judiciary to act as a link between district courts, the high courts and the committee.

A 21-day target was also set for projects submitted by district judges, covering both approval by the Access to Justice Fund and disbursement of funds, he said.

Four priorities identified by district courts

The district judiciary was then asked to identify its priority requirements. Four needs emerged: uninterrupted electricity, internet connectivity, essential facilities for women visiting district courts and clean water.

Justice Afridi said Rs3.4 billion had been disbursed in one year for these four projects, compared with Rs900 million disbursed over the previous 20 years since the establishment of the Access to Justice Fund.

He said solar facilities had been installed at courts in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, while work in Balochistan was continuing.

In Punjab, 236 solar facilities had been installed across 36 districts, he said. Courts in Sindh, Peshawar and Islamabad had also been solarised.

Justice Afridi said Balochistan had completed solarisation in 18 districts but faced difficulties transporting equipment to remote areas. He said the remaining work was expected to be completed within 30 days.

He added that e-libraries and internet connectivity had been provided at judicial complexes, with facilities extended to the bar and litigants as well as judicial officers.

Women’s facilities and clean water had also been provided at district and tehsil courts across the country, he said, while acknowledging that Balochistan would need more time to complete the work.

The chief justice said provincial and federal governments had helped meet funding shortfalls, as the Rs1.4 billion markup from the Access to Justice Fund was insufficient to cover the projects.

Judicial officers to receive health insurance

Justice Afridi also announced that all judicial officers in Pakistan would receive health insurance.

He said the facility had already been introduced in Punjab and that chief justices of the high courts had supported extending it to every judicial officer in the country.

The NJPMC had also introduced changes to the code of conduct and established a procedure to address extraneous influence on judicial officers, Justice Afridi said.

He said the process involved supervision by both the high courts and the chief justice of Pakistan.

“Your Chief Justice is with you,” he told judicial officers, while stressing that the assurance applied to judges who remained honest and did not themselves seek improper approaches or influence.

Women’s facilitation centres planned

Justice Afridi said the NJPMC’s focus for the coming year would include expanding facilities for women through women facilitation centres.

The centres are planned to provide women and children with safe spaces and allied services under one roof, he said.

He said the National Architects Association of Pakistan had conducted a competition to develop designs for the centres, with the shortlisted plans shared with chief justices of the high courts for consideration.

The chief justice also raised concerns about Pakistan’s position in international rule of law rankings, saying he wanted the conditions and facilities available to the district judiciary to be reflected through empirical data.

He said the NJPMC had identified 34 indicators for district judges and 32 for civil judges and senior civil judges.

Justice Afridi directed judicial officers to document conditions at their courts, including facilities available for women and litigants, and provide photographs and other data.

He said the information would be shared with monitors of the rule of law index through the Law and Justice Commission.

The chief justice also announced a commendation for judicial excellence to recognise outstanding judicial officers nominated by the high courts for distinguished performance.

Paying tribute to judges who had lost their lives in the line of duty, Justice Afridi specifically mentioned Shaheed Judge Hakim Kakar.

He said the most meaningful tribute to judges who had sacrificed their lives was to remain steadfast in upholding the rule of law and serving the people of Pakistan.

Justice Afridi also urged rule of law index monitors to take into account the sacrifices and working conditions of judicial officers serving in remote parts of the country.

“I am proud of you, district judiciary. I am proud of you,” he said at the conclusion of his address.