CJP vows equal access to justice across country

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi reaffirmed on Sunday the constitutional commitment to equal access to justice across the country.

This he stated during his visit to Judicial Complex of Fort Abbas District Bahawalnagar. The CJP said that speedy justice to the masses is the top priority of the judiciary. He urged the need of coordination between bar and bench for provision of the justice. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi announced establishment of women facilitation centers. The centers will provide free of cost legal, social and psychological services to women.

Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, announced the launch of a new initiative to provide state-funded legal assistance to underprivileged litigants across all levels of the judiciary from Magistrate Courts to the Supreme Court.

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The Chief Justice, who also serves as Chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), made the announcement while chairing a high-level meeting at the Supreme Court Branch Registry in Quetta. The meeting aimed to review institutional linkages between the Bar Associations of Balochistan and the LJCP to strengthen justice delivery mechanisms.

Under the new initiative, deserving litigants will be able to hire legal representation at state expense, with remuneration of up to Rs50,000 provided through District Legal Empowerment Committees. The initiative, under the auspices of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, seeks to ensure equitable access to justice for all citizens, regardless of financial status.

Bar Associations have been invited to nominate qualified lawyers for this purpose to District Judges, High Courts, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.