ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court has suggested introducing an e-court system at its principal seat in Islamabad as well as branch registries to provide video link faciliies for lawyers to argue their cases, according to a statement issued by the apex court on Wednesday.
In a full court meeting chaired by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, it was agreed that an e-court system should be established within the minimum possible period of time to facilitate lawyers and reduce the backlog of cases at the branch registries.
According to the statement, it was noted that between September and December 2018, the Supreme Court had heard 6,342 cases against the institution of 6,407 cases, with an additional 40,535 pending cases.
The meeting agreed that special benches should be constituted to deal with different categories of cases, “adjournments should be discouraged, appeals should be fixed in chronological order and reviews must be fixed in the next week subject to the availability of author judges.”
“The full court showed satisfaction over institution and disposal rate and discussed different strategies, ways and means to bring improvements in case management for effective and smooth functioning of the court and underlined the need to categorize the cases to diminish the backlog of cases and to make untiring efforts to improve the dispensation of justice,” the statement read.
Justice Khosa was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court on January 19. He has presided over 55,000 cases in his career spanning more than two decades.
Prior to assuming office, he had vowed to do his best to reduce the time taken in the delivery of justice at all levels of the judicial hierarchy.
There are about 1.9 million cases pending in the country before all the courts, according to data provided by the Supreme Court.
SC mulls over e-court system to reduce backlog
SC mulls over e-court system to reduce backlog
- More than 40,000 cases pending in Pakistan’s top court
- It also recommended introduction of special benches for different categories
Babar Azam dropped for scoring too slowly, says Pakistan coach Hesson
- Shaheen Shah Afridi was left out after conceding 101 runs in three matches
- Pakistan will now face New Zealand in the opening match of the second phase
COLOMBO: Batting great Babar Azam was dropped for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, said head coach Mike Hesson on Friday.
Azam, who is the highest run-scorer in T20 international history with 4,571 runs, was left out for the must-win game against Namibia as Pakistan racked up 199-3 and secured a place in the Super Eights by 102 runs.
The 2009 champions face New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday in the opening match of the second phase.
“I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is less than 100 and that’s clearly not the role we think we need,” Hesson told reporters after Pakistan’s final practice session on Friday was washed out by rain.
Pakistan left out Azam for the same reason at last year’s Asia Cup and even after dismal showing in the Big Bash League, he was still selected for the T20 World Cup.
“We brought Babar back in for a specific role post the Asia Cup,” said Hesson.
“We’ve got plenty of other options who can come in and perform that role toward the end.
“Babar is actually the first to acknowledge that.
“He knows that he’s got a certain set of skills that the team requires and there are certain times where other players can perform that role more efficiently.”
Hesson also defended dropping pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi after he conceded 101 runs in three matches, including 31 in two overs against India.
“We made a call that Salman Mirza was coming in for Shaheen, and he bowled incredibly well,” said Hesson.
“To be fair, he was probably really unlucky to not be playing the second and third games.”
Hesson was wary of Pakistan’s opponents on Saturday.
“New Zealand have played a huge amount in the subcontinent in recent times so we have to play at our best.”
