SC touts digital justice push, introduces SOPs for uninterrupted hearings

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it has established a new benchmark in digital justice delivery, reiterating its commitment to a judicial system that is people-friendly, transparent and driven by technology.

In an official statement, the court said hearings were conducted successfully across the country through modern technological tools, allowing judicial proceedings to continue smoothly even in difficult circumstances.

According to the statement, a bench sitting in Islamabad heard cases while lawyers joined online from Quetta, Karachi and Hyderabad. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi took part from Islamabad, while Justice Ayesha Malik joined the bench remotely from Lahore.

The court said the proceedings continued without disruption, including in emergency situations. The entire cause list was taken up by the Islamabad bench, with litigants and lawyers appearing virtually from several cities.

The statement said traditional paper-based records have largely been replaced by complete digital case files, reducing the need to call for documents from branch registries.

Digital systems and court operations

The Supreme Court said a number of reforms have already been put into operation, including case barcoding, e-filing and e-office systems. The electronic transmission of judicial orders has made it possible for decisions to be delivered immediately.

Video-link hearings have helped overcome geographical barriers, cut litigation expenses and widen access to justice.

Separately, the court said it introduced new standard operating procedures on Tuesday to ensure that judicial work continues uninterrupted during unexpectedly announced public holidays. The SOPs, issued by Chief Justice Afridi, are aimed at improving the efficiency and continuity of court operations.

Priority matters and backlog reduction

Under the new framework, the court said urgent civil and criminal matters will be given priority. These include family cases, bail applications, criminal revisions, cases involving prisoners above the age of 80, restoration petitions, settlement matters and cases involving short legal questions.

The statement also said steps have been taken to deal with the backlog of cases. Under these measures, at least 40% of cases in each final cause list will consist of the oldest pending matters up to 2018.

The court said special facilitation has also been provided for lawyers from Sindh and Balochistan, with their cases to be fixed later in the week in view of travel and logistical difficulties.

An automated case fixation system is also planned to improve transparency and objectivity while reducing discretionary delays through algorithm-based prioritisation.

According to the statement, the proposed system will feature weekly and proposed monthly cause lists to improve predictability and overall case flow management.