The newly appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, has decided to introduce live streaming services for all Supreme Court (SC) courtrooms, aiming to make court proceedings more accessible to the public. Sources report that the decision marks a significant shift towards transparency in the judicial system.
Under the new initiative, live streaming will be available for public viewing, allowing global access to court proceedings, including for overseas Pakistanis wishing to follow their cases. However, the implementation of live streaming will require the consent of all parties involved, with confidentiality measures in place for female litigants.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has tasked Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar with overseeing the arrangements for live streaming across all courtrooms. Previously, only Courtroom No. 1 had live streaming services.
Additionally, Justice Afridi has summoned a full court meeting on October 28 to discuss the matter further.
Following his swearing-in ceremony, the Supreme Court’s official website was updated to reflect Justice Yahya Afridi as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan, with Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah listed as the senior-most judge.
Justice Yahya Afridi Sworn in as 30th CJP
Earlier on Saturday, Justice Yahya Afridi took the oath as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan. The oath was administered by President Asif Zardari at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and all judges of the Supreme Court were in attendance.
Justice Afridi will serve in the top judicial office for the next three years following the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Profile of Justice Yahya Afridi
Justice Yahya Afridi enrolled as an advocate of the high court in 1990 and of the Supreme Court in 2004. During his career, he served as an Assistant Advocate General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as a Federal Counsel for the Government of Pakistan.
Elevated to the bench of the Peshawar High Court in 2010, he became the first judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) to assume the office of Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court in 2016. He served in that position until his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2018.
