No good news except from judiciary: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa on Wednesday said unfortunately, in our society nowadays there are so much depressing news and sad stories but the justice sector is the only one which springs one good news after another.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that 'national economy in ICU' is not a good news. The Chief Justice said, "These days unfortunately we are not receiving very good news. News which depresses us is received. We hear about the economy and we are told that either it is in the ICU or it has just come out of the ICU. We see the noise coming out of parliament and we see that leader of the house as well as the leader of the opposition, they are not even being allowed to speak. It depresses. We change the TV channel, we look at the Cricket World Cup, unfortunately again the news is depressing."

“Now in this depressing atmosphere, I am very happy to say that at least there is one sector in our society from where some good news is coming. That good news is the realisation on our part."

The CJP expressed these views in the orientation session on “Expeditious Justice Initiative” for Additional Judges of Model Criminal Trial Courts (MCTCs) of Pakistan here at the Federal Judicial Academy, wherein additionally nominated judges of recently established Model Criminal Trial Courts participated.

Referring to the testimony of witnesses in criminal cases, the CJP said that the judiciary will not tolerate delay and falsehood. Quoting the famous Latin phrase which reads as, “Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus (False in one thing, false in everything),” the CJP highlighted the importance of veracity in testimony.

Shedding light on the background of the establishment of Model Criminal Trial Courts, the chief justice said that knowing the gravity of criminal cases and pains and pathos of justice-seekers, they prioritised the creation of MCTCs. "Results of these courts are incredible", the CJP maintained adding that with full cooperation of all stakeholders of administration of criminal justice system, miraculous things have happened. "Now onwards we will be adding one more judge to every district every month and the day is not far when we will have every court as Model Court in this country", the CJP said.

He said that 5,800 trial cases were decided through model courts in 48 working days. He said they have established these MCTCs to earn Allah (SWT)’s love and pleasure. The Chief Justice, on this occasion, informed that in the upcoming meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, in which all Chief Justices of High Courts are the members, they will decide to set up Model Civil Trial Courts and Model Trial Magistrate Courts.

Similarly, the CJP further informed that they are ready to set up 116 Gender-based Violence Courts and also Child Courts in every district of Pakistan. "These courts will be designed to look entirely different both in their infrastructure and working than other courts,” the CJP said.

On this occasion, the Chief Justice also shared his mission and vision about the establishment of the state of the art Research Center in the Supreme Court and its utility for judges and others related to justice sector. “The Research Centre has already been established in the Supreme Court,” he said adding that two judges of the Supreme Court and seven research assistants will be going for training to the USA. The CJP informed that this Research Center is linked with world renowned research engines.

"With the effective functioning of this Research Center, the desired research material will be a click of a button away,” he maintained. The CJP, while enlightening the audience of the effective application of technology in the expeditious dispensation of justice, also spoke about the importance and scope of Artificial Intelligence.

He said that effective application of Artificial Intelligence will go a long way to bring quality and consistency in the decisions of judges. He said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has become the first E-apex court in the world, which has started hearing online cases. “We started hearing cases from Karachi and we will very soon develop the desired facility at Quetta also,” the CJP said. He further stated that special benches in high courts have also been established to hear cases related to revenue, banking and other fiscal matters. Moreover, he said special benches in the high court have also been constituted to hear appeals against cases from MCTCs of Pakistan.