Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that independence and impartiality of judiciary is prerequisite for free, fair and impartial dispensation of justice. Speaking at National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee here on Saturday, he said provision of inexpensive and expeditious justice was a dictate of constitution and a prime responsibility of state, as laid down in Article 37(d) of constitution.
The judiciary has taken great strides, Justice Chaudhry said, to strengthen its independence and enable the courts to deliver. The judiciary, as a third pillar of the state, was required to perform this onerous responsibility and to be able to discharge this function, the constitution provided for necessary safeguards as regards to independence and impartiality of courts, he added.
About role and objectives of NJPMC, the CJP said the apex body of justice sector had the mandate to co-ordinate and harmonise judicial policy in the country, with a view to improving its capacity and performance. "In line with this objective, we embarked on the path of reforming the administration of justice in the country in a manner to realise the goal of ensuring access to justice for all and dispensing free, fair and expeditious justice to those who suffer any violation of their rights or any wrong or mischief or grievance," he added.
After formation of NJPMC, he said, certain targets were fixed and guidelines prescribed for expediting trail proceedings with a view to reduce pendency and further to create a good image of the judiciary. He said the targets set by NJPMC had largely been realised as actions were taken against corrupt judicial officers and staff. The district judiciary performed well and decided record number of cases and their performance was being monitored.
Justice Chaudhry admitted that there were some shortcomings and lapses though, which were being discussed from time to time. He said that high courts could not keep pace, primarily on account of the persistent shortages of strength in such courts.
In some regions, he said, NJPMC successfully achieved the targets and eliminated backlog altogether. The district judiciary of Balochistan in particular did very well as it was currently poised to decide any civil or criminal case within a period of six to nine months from the date of filing of a suit or complaint, he added.
The chief justice said district judiciary in other provinces was also catching up. The success of NJPMC had led to enhanced confidence of the general public in the capacity and ability of the courts to decide disputes. The CJP expressed the hope that with continuous reforms in the judicial system and acquisition of necessary skills and expertise, they could further improve the functioning of the system.