ISLAMABAD: Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) emphasised the need to amend the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, 1984 to ensure the admissibility of evidence procured through modern devices and technologies.
Chief Justice of Pakistan/ Chairman LJCP chaired the 46th meeting of the Commission held here on Friday at the Supreme Court.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justices of the Federal Shariat Court, and all the High Courts, Attorney General for Pakistan, Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice and Interim Chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women. It was also attended by Khawaja Haris Ahmed, Kamran Murtaza, and Muhammad Munir Paracha, SC senior advocates.
The Commission underscored the importance of legal reforms, particularly in the Code of Criminal Procedure and Family Laws, for ensuring that the justice system remains relevant and effective in addressing the evolving needs of society.
It stated that these reforms will help streamline legal processes, protect citizens’ rights, and promote fairness and justice in the dispensation of justice.
The Commission appreciated the proposed legislative amendments in the family laws and acknowledged that these amendments would facilitate early resolution of family disputes and improve service delivery of family courts. It also considered the issue of conflicting judgments on a subject and observed that such judgments create confusion and undermine the principle of precedents, which subordinate courts are required to follow.
The Commission also reviewed the draft LJCP Employees (Terms and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2025, and constituted a committee comprising the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court and Muhammad Munir Paracha, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan/ Member of the Commission to review the proposed rules and present its report to the Commission.
Earlier, the Chief Justice of Pakistan/ Chairman, Governing Body, Access to Justice Development Fund (AJDF) chaired the 21st meeting of the Governing Body, AJDF. The Governing Body, AJDF reviewed the Fund’s overall performance, implementation status of previous decisions, and funds released under various windows of the Fund.
The Governing Body was informed that since inception of the Fund in 2005, Rs904.7 million were released to the High Courts for infrastructure development of the district judiciary and Rs166.5 million for execution of special project in under-developed Districts.
However, during the last fourteen months i.e. from July 2024 to September 2025, the Fund recorded a substantial surge in activity and an amount of Rs1462.3 million was disbursed for infrastructure development and provisions of court related amenities for litigants, lawyers and judicial officers.
Similarly, Rs151 million was released to the Under-Developed Districts. This remarkable increase in fund releases reflects renewed momentum in supporting judicial infrastructure across the country.
The CJP Yahya Afridi commended the outstanding performance of the LJCP Secretariat in managing the Fund.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025