Islamabad-(Mudassar Iqbal): The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to implement a Case Management Plan for 2023 to tackle the substantial backlog of 59,191 cases, as revealed by the SC registrar during a private Full Court meeting on Monday.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior puisne judge, devised a one-month action plan aimed at expediting case resolutions. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired the two-hour meeting, which saw all apex court judges in attendance, with Justice Shah joining via video link from Saudi Arabia while performing Umrah.
The session reviewed the SC’s current case management and outlined methods to address delays, intending to enhance the court’s overall efficiency. Recent data from the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan indicates that the number of pending cases surged by 3.9% in the latter half of 2023, bringing the total nationwide to a staggering 2.26 million. District judiciary cases make up 82% of this number, leaving 18%, or roughly 390,000 cases, with higher courts.
The Case Management Plan sets specific guidelines for improved case tracking through digital tools, with a focus on categorizing cases by type for effective monitoring. Specialised and three-member benches will handle both civil and criminal cases, enabling faster resolution. During the review, judges proposed further refinements, signaling strong dedication to tackling the backlog.
Justice Shah proposed an initial one-month framework, followed by three- and six-month plans, to systematically reduce pending cases and streamline court procedures. Chief Justice Afridi expressed gratitude to the judges for their commitment and confirmed that progress on the plan would be revisited in the upcoming Full Court meeting on December 2, 2024.
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