Supreme Judicial Council Proceeds with Action on Complaints Against Three Judges; Key Judicial Reforms Approved
**Islamabad:** The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), in a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, reviewed 59 complaints against members of the judiciary, disposing of 50 of them while deciding to proceed further with three complaints.
According to details, six complaints were deferred, while the council decided to continue proceedings on three cases. The matter related to draft rules for rule-making was postponed until the next meeting.
During proceedings regarding complaints against judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), IHC Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar did not attend the session. Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, Justice Atiq Shah, participated in the meeting as a council member in matters concerning IHC judges.
Separately, the 57th meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) was also held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Afridi, where significant decisions were taken to ensure judicial reforms and timely delivery of justice.
The committee decided to establish a formal complaint mechanism within two weeks against the failure to produce missing or arrested persons before a magistrate within 24 hours. The Attorney General was directed to present a progress report on the legal framework concerning enforced disappearances and arrests.
The meeting approved guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial institutions, granting high courts the authority to develop their own procedures and safeguards for implementing judicial AI systems.
It was also decided to amend judicial rules to implement e-filing across all districts and to expedite legislation for mandatory pre-trial mediation. The committee further resolved to establish dedicated benches in all high courts to hear cases related to foreign arbitration awards.
The committee appreciated the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) efforts to discourage frivolous appeals and screen unnecessary litigation. It also lauded the performance of high courts and district judiciary in timely case disposal.
The meeting was informed that from September 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026, more than 754,000 cases were disposed of nationwide. The Lahore High Court has reportedly cleared almost all cases pending prior to 2020.
Additionally, over 59,000 cases were decided in model civil and criminal courts within four months. The performance of the Islamabad High Court regarding jail reforms was also appreciated.
The committee further decided to focus on establishing family support and mediation centers for women across all provinces during 2026–27.
