Azad Jammu and Kashmir achieved a major breakthrough in the judicial history of the state as a result of recent changes taking place for extending inexpensive and speedy justice to the needy after appointment of new Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court and AJK Shariat Court Justice Riaz Akhtar Chaudhry. This could be assessed through the fact that all murder cases are now being decided only within 40 days after the submission of challans before the concerned courts.
Since appointment of new Chief Justice of AJKHC and AJKSC Justice Riaz Akhtar Chaudhry, a couple of months ago, 93 murder cases were decided within the stipulated 40 days period.
The decisions on a total of 93 murder cases within 40 days period only during the months of September and October this year by various subordinate courts in Azad Jammu and Kashmir are an ample proof of success of recently-introduced reforms in the AJK judicial set up.
These decisions on the murder cases included decisions on 12 new and 46 old murder cases taken during October and 08 new and 28 old cases made during the month of September.
Besides, a total of 3639 new cases of both civil and criminal nature including various murder cases were decided by various subordinate courts across AJK in October, and 3407 cases in the month of September 2004.
It may be recalled Justice Riaz Akhtar Chaudhry had directed all the subordinate trial courts and the police that witnesses should be produced before the courts along with the challan and all the Session Judges shall hear the murder cases on day-by-day to ensure the decision of cases within determined 40 days period.
Meanwhile, other daily work of the Session courts shall be performed by the Additional Session judges, the judicial reforms said.
The legal experts here, while appreciating the judicial reforms, described them a breakthrough in the judicial system not only in the history of AJK but also in subcontinent.
People from all other sections of the society here have also appreciated and hailed the reforms in the states judicial system aims to provide quick and inexpensive justice to the needy particularly poor class of the society.