ISLAMABAD - The chief justice has constituted provincial justice committees to ensure effective coordination, policy and planning and implementation to improve the quality of justice service delivery.

The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, on May 30 had taken the decision in this regard.

According to the notification, the provincial justice committees will be consisted of 12 provincial judicial and government functionaries.

The chief justice of the respective high court is the chairman of that provincial justice committee. Other members are home secretary, provincial law secretary, secretary prosecution, Inspector General police (IGP), Prosecutor General, IG Prison, Advocate General, senior most working District & Sessions judge, Director Anti Corruption, secretary Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP)  and any official or person selected as observer member by the PJC concerned.

Likewise, once justice committee has been formed on federal level, led by Islamabad High Court’s chief justice. Other members are secretary LJCP, secretary law, secretary interior, advocate general Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), District & Session judge Islamabad Muhammad Tanveer Muhammad and any official or person selected as observer member by the committee.

According to the notification, the committees will review the law and order status in the province and take necessary measures to enhance the operation and effectiveness of the rule of law organizations.

These will also lead the review, formulation, coordination and implementation of rule of law reforms as well as address the security and justice challenges in the province.

The committees will also enhance coordination respective rule of law organisations as well as enhancing judicial-executive coordination to improve justice sector delivery. These provincial apex bodies have been given mandate to review the performance and provide policy guidance to the District Criminal Justice Coordination Committees (DCJCCs) or their equivalent bodies.

The committees have also been asked to make recommendations to the federal and provincial governments and LJCP to strengthen rule of law institutions and organisations for improving service delivery.

It will be mandatory for the chairman of each committee (respective high courts CJs) to submit three-month performance report to the chief justice of Pakistan.