LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) at the Supreme Court`s Lahore registry.
The meeting was attended by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, the representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and officials from the ministry of law and justice.
The meeting was convened to review institutional linkages between the bar associations and the LJCP for delivery of justice.
The CJP acknowledged the contributions of the bar associations to the justice system.
He referred to the existing gap in coordination between the bar associations and the LJCP.
In order to strengthen the coordination, the commission decided to post senior representatives in every province who would sit in the high courts. These representatives will raise awareness among the district bar associations, identify local priority areas and supervise the ongoing justice sector initiatives at the grassroots level.
Justice Afridi, who is also the LJCP chairman, urged the bar leaders to sensitise their respective associations about the developments and to proactively engage in these reform initiatives.
He further noted with concern a lack of infrastructure, including solarisation and digital integration, in less developed districts, and stressed the need for targeted interventions in such areas.
The CJP encouraged the bar leaders to ensure their members benefit from the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programmes offered by the Federal Judicial Academy.
The bar representatives appreciated the initiative and thanked the chief justice for acknowledging the challenges faced by litigants and legal practitioners alike.
