Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) thinks the rule of law and dispensation of speedy justice are two such issues that cannot be ignored. Therefore, as the government has completed its first 100 days in power, it has come with a plethora of recommendations for and amendments in the existing legal set-up of the country that will not only help in the dispensation of speedy justice but will also prove instrumental in establishing the rule of law and writ of the state.
Indeed, the legal system of the country is facing many issues. The legal process proves extremely lengthy for the litigants. The documents through which the courts try to solve the problem have become out-dated. Furthermore, frivolous litigation adds to the workload of already under stressed courts. The new amendments and laws are aimed to correct some of the prevalent problems in the legal system if the country.
The government proposed a two-tier system in the Code of Civil Procedure is the most interesting of all for under the new concept, two different judges will hear the entire suit. The purpose that the government want to achieve through the introduction of a two-tier system is to bring a reduction in the duration of a case. According to the government, the new concept will decide any matter of civil litigation in a short of span of two years. If the new system can achieve this end, it will revolutionise the legal system.
Till this day, most of the court cases drag on for years and without reaching any logical conclusion. Sometimes, the justice seeker stops pursuing what law grants them as their right because of the years they spend in seeking justice. The government knows that justice delayed is justice denied and if justice is not delivered swiftly, it is then equal to lack of justice. The attempt to end a trial within a short time of two years will provide relief to many.
There are other proposals as well that the government want to introduce in the legal process and procedures to improve the quality of justice. For instance, the new plan to record evidence through commission will also help in reducing the burden on the court. Moreover, keeping a record of evidence in electronic form can also curb the allegations of fraud and fabrication of the statement by the parties, which is a usual practice in Pakistan’s legal system, unfortunately.
Optimism forces us to hope that the new proposals will deal with the most challenging problem that the administration of justice in Pakistan face in the form of backlog and resulting delay in criminal and civil cases at every level, from lower courts to the Supreme Court.