LJCP recommendations: Senate body concerned at delay in implementation

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Thursday expressed concern over the delay in the implementation of a substantial number of recommendations by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP).

The parliamentary body, which met with Senator Farooq Hamid Naek in the chair, reviewed statutes and other laws undertaken by the LJCP and recommendations made to the federal and provincial governments for improvement, modernisation, repeal of obsolete laws, removal of anomalies, and harmonisation of federal and provincial legislation during the last five years.

The Secretary, LJCP Mushtaq Ahmed, while briefing the committee on the commission’s statutory mandate and activities, including law reform, judicial policy, case management, e-filing, access-to-justice initiatives and utilisation of the Access to Justice Development Fund (AJDF) said that the commission has approved 143 law reform reports, out of which 46 recommendations have been implemented, 33 partly implemented and 58 remain unimplemented.

The parliamentary body expressed concern over the delay in implementation of the recommendations and recommended that an active follow-up mechanism be ensured with the relevant authorities.

The committee chairman sought a report regarding the implementation status of the recommendations, including partly implemented, pending, or not accepted, along with the present position.

He also sought a comprehensive report regarding the staff of the LJCP, including its sanctioned and working strength and service matters.

The committee members raised concerns about cases remaining pending for long period and litigants experiencing delays in obtaining hearings and final decisions. The commission informed the meeting that fixation of individual cases does not fall within its mandate.

Chairman Naek emphasised that effective case management is fundamental to timely disposal of cases and access to justice, and that policies aimed at reducing delays must be translated into measurable improvements in court administration and service delivery.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing e-filing reforms in the Supreme Court and High Courts. The members emphasised the need to ensure that digital reforms simplify procedures and facilitate access to justice rather than create additional difficulties for litigants and legal practitioners.

The committee was briefed on the Access to Justice Development Fund, including its investments, income, allocations and expenditure. The committee was informed that the Fund had an initial endowment of Rs 1,421 million in 2005 and had generated cumulative investment income of Rs 4,057.14 million up to June 30, 2026.

The committee also discussed measures to improve access to justice for women, including the proposed establishment of Women Facilitation Centres in district courts and enhanced mechanisms for providing legal representation to women and other vulnerable litigants who cannot afford legal services.

Senator Shahadat Awan, Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Senator Muhammad Tallal Badar, and senior officials of the concerned ministries and departments attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026