Despite opposition of the bar associations, a bill to establish Federal Commercial Courts (FCC) with one hundred amendments in the relevant laws will be introduced in the next session of the National Assembly, Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar told Business Recorder here on Thursday. In an exclusive interview, Wasi Zafar said, "the Law and Justice ministry is working on a fast track to give final touches to the draft of the FCC and law reforms bill for submission to the Federal Cabinet for approval, at the earliest."
Describing the opponents of the Federal Commercial Courts, with the status and jurisdiction of the High Courts, as having "vested interests," the minister said that as the world has become a "global village", these courts have become a necessity for quick disposal and resolution of disputes between the litigants both local and the foreigners.
He said that the law to establish FCCs would be discussed in the Federal Cabinet, National Assembly and the Senate. The government will also welcome proposals from the bar associations, councils and lawyers for improving the present legal and judicial system to provide inexpensive and quick justice to the people.
Wasi Zafar empathetically said that the FCC benches at the Federal and four provincial capitals would not be a parallel judicial system, as the FCCs will function under the control of the Supreme Court. The only difference is that these courts will exclusively hear the cases of banking, customs, companies, narcotics, and such other commercial matters to lessen the pendency of cases in the four High Courts. He said that the appeals against the decisions of these courts would be heard by the Supreme Court.
The Law minister said that under the WTO to which Pakistan is a signatory, there are certain laws which are to be enforced, amended or deleted. He said that the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights laws concerning the ministries of education, culture, commerce, industry and textiles was obligatory for Pakistan under the WTO regime. According to official sources, the establishment of Federal Commercial Courts will also promote the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ARD) culture under which disputes between parties are resolved through mediation, conciliation and arbitration with the involvement of persons who are not judicial officers.
The sources said that the next session of the National Assembly is expected after Eid-ul-Azha.
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