Competition process: CJP for inter-institutional coordination, transparency

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi emphasised the importance of inter-institutional coordination, transparency, and merit-based evaluation in the competition process.

The CJP, who is also the chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), was chairing a high-level consultative session as part of a strategic engagement on the Gender-Responsive Justice Initiative (GRJI) 2026–27, held at the Supreme Court on Thursday. The meeting focused on the proposed National Design Competition for Women Facilitation Centres (WFCs).

The session brought together senior judicial leadership, representatives of key institutions, development partners, gender experts, and the architectural community, reflecting a broad-based consultative approach to advancing gender-responsive judicial reforms.

The Chief Justice reiterated that the selected design would serve as a reference model for Women’s Facilitation Centres, supporting the judiciary’s commitment to inclusive, accessible, and gender-responsive justice.

Welcoming the participants, the Chief Justice highlighted that the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) has identified gender-responsive justice as a priority reform area for the financial year 2026–27. He underscored that the initiative envisages the establishment of Women Facilitation Centres within judicial complexes across Pakistan, aimed at providing safe, structured, and accessible support services to women litigants.

The proposed Centres are designed as integrated platforms offering legal facilitation, court-annexed mediation, supervised family visitation arrangements, and gender-based violence (GBV) support, within a dignified and secure environment.

The participants were informed that the Concept Note and Business Requirement Document (BRD) outlining the functional, architectural, and operational parameters of the WFCs have been shared with stakeholders, including relevant government departments and development partners. The session focused on finalising the framework for the National Design Competition, which aims to develop a standardised, replicable, and adaptable architectural model through nationwide participation of architects, academic institutions, and professionals.

The discussion reflected strong support for the initiative as a shift from adjudication-centric approaches to user-centric justice delivery, aligning judicial infrastructure with evolving standards of access to justice, inclusivity, and institutional responsiveness.

During the deliberations, participants emphasised that the design of WFCs must ensure privacy, safety, inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity, while also incorporating functional efficiency and sustainability considerations. Particular attention was drawn to the importance of acoustics, especially in mediation rooms, counselling spaces, and court areas, to ensure confidentiality, reduce noise interference, and create a calm and dignified environment for sensitive proceedings.

It was further suggested that the Centres be designed to enable integrated service delivery, allowing women litigants to access multiple support services within a single facility.

The Registrars of the Supreme Court and High Courts were requested to undertake category-wise mapping of infrastructure requirements, including covered area specifications and appropriate vertical or horizontal configurations, to facilitate effective planning across diverse jurisdictions.

After incorporating the inputs received during the consultative process in the final framework, the Institute of Architects Pakistan (IAP) will launch the national design competition.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026