ISLAMABAD: In a major move to ensure equal access to justice, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi announced a new legal aid scheme under which no petitioner will be left without a lawyer, providing free legal aid to financially indigent persons at all judicial levels from magistrate courts to the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan met a delegation of lawyers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Supreme Court Branch Registry, Peshawar. The delegation included representatives from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, the High Court Bar Association, and 35 district bar associations across the province.

The Chief Justice briefed the delegation about the judicial reforms being implemented through the platform of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. He highlighted that for the first time in the country’s history, bar representatives have been made members of the commission to ensure their involvement in the legal policy-making process.

He also apprised the delegation of the important decisions taken in the recent meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee, which included expressing concern over the issue of missing persons and setting up a committee for institutional response.

High Courts were directed to take safeguards to prevent external pressure on the district judiciary and setting up commercial litigation corridors and model criminal trial courts to ensure speedy disposal of cases. Other measures included fixing time limits for 13 types of cases, piloting of double docket court system, court-linked mediation, implementation of Professional Excellence Index, standards of recruitment and training in the district judiciary, biometric verification, video link attendance of prisoners and witnesses, ethical principles for the use of artificial intelligence and welfare of judicial officers.

The Chief Justice expressed concern over the lack of basic judicial infrastructure in backward districts, especially the unavailability of solar energy and digital access. The Chief Justice visited the Supreme Court Registry in Peshawar and presided over two important meetings before leaving for Islamabad.

Earlier, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Shakeel Ahmed heard ten cases in Peshawar, while on the other hand, Opposition Leader Omar Ayub did not meet the Chief Justice.