ISLAMABAD - Achieving a milestone in the judicial history, the Pakistan’s Supreme Court Monday started hearing the cases through online connectivity after successful launch of the e-Court system.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa heading a three-judge bench formally initiated the proceedings of cases through e-Court system at Principal seat Islamabad and Supreme Court Branch Karachi Registry.
Chief Justice Khosa remarked that e-Court system would be instrumental in early dispensation of justice at a low cost.
The bench heard the cases fixed in the top court’s Karachi registry through the e-Court system. Through the said system, the Advocate of Karachi whose cases were fixed for hearing at top court’s Karachi Registry argued their cases through video-link and the bench which assembled at Court Room No. 1 in Supreme Court Islamabad heard and decided the cases.
Chief Justice Khosa while hearing first case through the technology remarked that a big milestone has been achieved in the judicial history of Pakistan that cases are been heard through latest technology.
The facility will benefit lawyers and litigants to save time and money. The Chief Justice also extended his thanks to IT Committee of Supreme Court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and other stakeholders, including Nadra team for their untiring efforts that made this project successful.
The Chief Justice said that Pakistan’s Supreme Court is the only Court in the world where e-Court system has been introduced. He further remarked that the financial burden on litigants’ will be diminished through this system.
Rs2.5m of litigants saved on first day of e-Court hearings
Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) President Aman Ullah Kanrani congratulated the Chief Justice on introducing e-Court system.
The Chief justice said it is a big day and urged for lawyers’ cooperation for fruitfully running the system.
Chief justice remarked that litigants’ Rs2.5 million have been saved on the first day of e-Court system.
Chief justice said the lawyers who come from Karachi to attend hearings at Islamabad stay in five-star hotels. Likewise, he further remarked that the litigants and lawyers spend expenditure on transportation adding that this system will also save transportation expenditure of litigants and lawyers.
While deciding the first case through e-Court system, Chief Justice Khosa heading a three-judge bench decided to initiate inquiry against judges of Sindh High Court (SHC) on the grounds that they could not decide a bail application of an accused and delayed the matter for three years.
Chief justice observed that such actions are violation of judges’ code of conduct. The bench, however, accepted bail application of a murder suspect Noor Mohammad.
The bench was informed that a murder case against Noor Mohammad was registered in Shadabpur Police Station in 2014.
The Chief Justice while citing statements of witnesses remarked that according to witnesses the murder was committed by unidentified persons and nominated accused has no involvement in the case.
The Chief Justice further observed that the local police conducted investigation with mala fide intentions, adding the co-accused Ghulam Hussain and Ghulam Haider have already been granted bail. During the course of hearing, the Chief Justice took cognizance of delay on the part of SHC judges in deciding the bail applications.
The year of occurrence is 2014 while the trial court rejected bail in 2016. The Chief Justice expressed wonder that the SHC had not made a decision on bail application from 2016 to 2019.
The Chief Justice observed that such actions are in violation of judges’ code of conduct. He directed the secretary Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to seek the copies of decisions.
He also directed for submission of report on the matter within two-weeks before Chairman SJC.
