CJP reconstitutes National Judicial Automation Committee

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has reconstituted the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) to improve the efficiency of judiciary.

The committee, to be headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court, will comprise Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar of the SC, besides judges of high courts and the Federal Shariat Court, a press release on Friday said.

The NJAC will work towards the digitalisation of the court’s processes and records, introduce mobile applications for better access to justice and improve case management.

The committee aims to automate and integrate the judiciary and also introduce artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal processes and research. It will prepare a national plan based on technology and AI to improve the efficiency of service delivery of the judiciary, the official news agency reported.

“Justice Shah believes that the justice sector in Pakistan should take advantage of the new developments in technology. The world has moved from the age of the Industrial Revolution to the era of technological transformation, and the justice sector in Pakistan needs to invest in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, modernised training programmes, and robust measures for better administration of justice,” the press release said.

“Justice Mazhar thinks that the digitization of the justice sector is only the beginning of the transformative change they envision for the legal system. As they move forward, they remain committed to continually enhancing their digital capabilities, further improving access to justice, and ensuring a transparent and efficient legal process for all,” it added.

Justice Shah was a judge and later Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. During his tenure, he established a resource centre and launched a distinctive automation project that resulted in the successful deployment of case flow management system. Similarly, Justice Mazhar took several initiatives to equip the Sindh High Court with IT technology.

The NJAC is a sub-committee of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) which is an apex body responsible for improving the performance of the administration of justice, harmonising the judicial processes and standards, and ensuring a skilled and efficient judiciary. The NJPMC Chairman is CJP Qazi Faez Isa.

The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan acts as the NJPMC’s secretariat and supports the NJAC in its work.