Swift, timely justice to ensure peace in society: PHC CJ

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The Chief Justice Peshawar High Court Yahya Afridi on Tuesday said that if swift and timely justice was provided to people there would be no danger of any uprising in the society.

Addressing the launching ceremony of Secretariat of District Judiciary (SDJ) here at Peshawar High Court building, he said it was high time that District Judiciary be provided an opportunity to determine its own career path and welfare to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice for all.

The ceremony was attended by Judges of High Court,   representative of MDTF, British High Commission, UNDP, Switzerland embassy, German Development Bank, Governance and Policy project and officials of provincial government.

The Chief Justice apprised the participants that reforms had been introduced aiming to evolve a model for dealing with civil and for criminal cases at district level. “We want to bring changes that should be spread from low level to up level.

The Chief Justice said that changes in civil producer code (CPC) mainly aim at case flow management and execution. He said that backing of law was essential for introducing the reforms.

He informed a three-day conference would be organized in February this year on introducing changes in criminal procedure code (CPC) which would be attended by all stakeholders including police and prosecution.

While talking about the concept of the CPC changes, he said this entire process took one year in which feedback was taken from judicial officers, businessmen and people from all sectors.

On the occasion Chief Justice stressed on reforms and capacity building, “We have to raise capacity of district judiciary to deliver justice”, he said.

Yahya Afridi said that eight far-flung districts had been selected to provide basic facilities to general public as presently development was restricted to three districts only.

He suggested donors to prepare modules for training of judicial officers with coordination of the judicial academy. SDJ aims at carving out an institution that shall be able to strengthen the administrative capacity of the district judiciary for quick and inexpensive judicial service delivery at the grassroots level.

The World Bank, through Governance and Policy Project, Planning and Development Department is supporting in the establishment of the secretariat.

On the occasion, Chief Justice Peshawar High Court appreciated the support of Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF). He said that Peshawar High Court was developing strategies according to its priorities, adding support of donors would be welcomed in reform sector.

During the ceremony Chief justice distributed appreciation certificates among officers of the Governance and Policy project to acknowledge their support in establishment of SDJ.

At the end of the ceremony participants also visited different sections of Peshawar High Court and were briefed by the Chief Justice.