Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Yahya Afridi, announced the judiciary is exploring two-shift court proceedings and artificial intelligence (AI) implementation to expedite case resolution.
Speaking at an Islamabad ceremony on Friday, Justice Afridi stressed the urgency of judicial reforms, emphasizing timely case disposal. He revealed the development of Model Criminal Trial Courts to address long-standing cases.
He added that the judicial branch is recruiting capable, politically neutral young lawyers. Judicial officers are undergoing training at the Judicial Academy to enhance their skills and adapt to future reforms, including AI tool integration.
‘We are actively exploring the use of artificial intelligence to enhance judicial processes, and our officers are being trained accordingly,’ he confirmed.
Justice Afridi highlighted the significance of the National Judicial Policy, mentioning his nationwide assessments of judicial infrastructure. He aims to create a justice system that inspires public trust in fair and prompt outcomes.
‘My vision is a judiciary built upon honest, impartial, and independent judicial officers. As Chief Justice, I firmly support such officers,’ he declared, discussing the ongoing reforms.
This marked the fifth judicial reform session under Justice Afridi. He mandated the resolution of all pending issues before the next review. The session’s communiqué reported substantial reform progress, with 26 of 89 initiatives finished, 44 underway, and 14 commencing shortly.
However, the CJP voiced concern over delays in case classification and scanning, demanding swift action to tackle court backlogs.
Supreme Court officials, legal specialists, Judicial Academy representatives, and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) attended the session.