CJP opens ‘Judicial Year 2026-27’ with renewed focus on improved services

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi stated that, in taxation matters, the court decided 691 cases between 2011 and 2021, while 1,044 cases remained pending, including 876 cases, instituted during 2025 and 2026.

The CJP said this while addressing the New Judicial Year 2026-27 ceremony, held in Courtroom No 1 of the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Monday.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan opened the New Judicial Year 2026-27 with a renewed commitment to speedier justice, better case management, improved services and measurable institutional reform.

The CJP presided over the ceremony, which was attended by all the judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), the Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the President, Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBA), and a large numbers of lawyers.

Reviewing case management, the Chief Justice reported significant progress in the disposal of priority categories of cases.

The court has advanced death sentence appeals from 2015 to 2026, disposing of 613 appeals, with only 31 cases of 2026 remaining. In bail-before-arrest matters, the court has progressed from 2016 to 2026, disposing of 2,972 petitions, with 115 cases of 2026 remaining. In bail-after-arrest matters, the court has advanced from 2009 to 2026, deciding 2,926 petitions, leaving 185 cases of 2026.

In family cases, the court has advanced from 2010 to 2026, deciding 1,752 cases, with 369 remaining, of which 310 relate to 2026.

Rent pendency has been reduced to 133 cases, comprising 23 cases of 2025 and 110 of 2026. In service matters, 4,302 cases have been decided, leaving 3,660, including 2,115 cases instituted during 2025 and 2026.

Justice Yahya highlighted the fixation of 40 percent of old cases, elimination of discretion in out-of-turn fixation, disposal of 202 cases in a single day, and the daily presence of the Registrar at the Public Facilitation Centre at 11:00 a.m. for redressal of grievances.

He also referred to structured bench allocation for time-sensitive, early-hearing, corporate, commercial, fiscal, civil, service and labour matters, aimed at ensuring that cases are dealt with according to their nature, urgency and priority.

The Chief Justice also underscored the importance of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), observing that not every dispute needs to culminate in a judgment. Court-annexed mediation, where appropriate, can provide parties with a fair, timely and effective means of resolving disputes.

The CJP also reviewed the court’s institutional reform agenda, structured around five key pillars: technology-enabled service delivery; access and transparency; strengthening of the legal and regulatory framework; leveraging national and international resources; and revitalisation of justice-sector institutions.

He apprised the gathering that, out of 86 reform actions across eight functional areas, 65 have been completed, eight are on track, while 13 require further attention. He emphasised that the ultimate objective of reform is better justice, with judicial independence accompanied by institutional accountability.

On access to justice and public facilitation, the CJP highlighted the establishment and strengthening of the Public Facilitation Centre, digital communication mechanisms, structured feedback systems and improved facilities for litigants, overseas Pakistanis and the media.

The Chief Justice emphasised that effective case management requires close coordination among the Court Office, Bench and Bar, particularly in accurate categorisation, timely fixation, effective hearing management and avoidance of unnecessary adjournments.

The Chief Justice highlighted the court’s growing international judicial cooperation, including Memoranda of Understanding with the Supreme People’s Court of China and the Constitutional Court of Turkiye, with further collaborations underway with judicial institutions in Korea, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States.

AGP Mansoor Usman Awan commended the Chief Justice and the SC judges for the progress made in reducing pendency and modernising the justice system, particularly in the areas of case management, digitisation, e-filing, video-link hearings, public facilitation, prison reform and ADR. He called for sustained efforts to ensure timely and effective justice.

Vice Chairman PBCPir Muhammad Masood Chishti appreciated improvements in case management, e-filing, public facilitation, video-link facilities and backlog reduction, while emphasising the importance of timely justice, ADR and constructive Bench-Bar engagement.

President SCBA Haroon ur Rashid also appreciated the establishment of facilitation centres, e-filing, digitisation and improved case management, observing that institutional and technological reforms must ultimately translate into timely, affordable and effective justice for litigants.

Concluding his address, the Chief Justice called for the New Judicial Year 2026-27 to be marked by better case management, better services, greater predictability and measurable institutional improvement.

The Chief Justice emphasised that the true measure of the judiciary lies in the trust it commands, the fairness it upholds, and the assurance it gives every citizen that they will be heard, treated with dignity and given justice.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026