ISLAMABAD: The Case Management Plan 2023, conceived by senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, was approved by the Supreme Court’s full court on Monday to address the court’s growing case backlog.
A one-month case management plan developed by Justice Shah was reviewed at the meeting, which was presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi. This plan integrates information technology with clear standards to efficiently manage all types of cases.
All SC judges attended the meeting, which was called by the CJP and included Justice Mansoor Shah, who joined via video link from overseas.
The objective was to assess how well the Supreme Court handled the institution and disposition of cases, with a focus on reducing the backlog of cases and increasing judicial efficiency. Jazeela Aslam, Registrar, gave a comprehensive overview of the current caseload and explained the steps needed to resolve cases quickly.
The most recent statistics, which revealed that 59,191 cases were still pending, were presented by the registrar, who also introduced the brand-new one-month plan that was based on the Case Management Plan 2023 that Justice Shah had prepared. In order to streamline case management across various categories, the plan calls for establishing clear standards and making use of information technology.
The judges looked at a variety of ways to achieve the plan’s objectives while discussing it. In accordance with the monthly plan, criminal and civil cases were assigned to specialized two- and three-member benches to speed up case resolution.
Reiterating their commitment to addressing the case backlog, the judges also provided additional insights and suggestions for enhancing the system.
Participating via video link, Justice Shah proposed additional strategies to reduce the case backlog and improve procedural efficiency, starting with the one-month plan and moving on to three-month and six-month plans.
CJP Afridi thanked each judge for their dedication to putting the case management plan into full effect. The next full court meeting, scheduled for December 2, will review progress.
Under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act (SCPPA) 2023, CJP Afridi has established a new three-judge committee with Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar since taking office. In accordance with the SCPPA’s Section 2 (1), as amended by Ordinance No. Eighth of 2024
On November 7, CJP Afridi has also scheduled a meeting in the Supreme Court with the administrative judges of ATCs and progress reports. Additionally, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) will meet on November 8.
CJP Afridi ordered the expansion of live-streaming services to additional Supreme Court courtrooms with the intention of implementing this across all courtrooms, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals and resources. This was done with the intention of increasing transparency.
