The Supreme Court’s full court meeting has adopted the Case Management Plan 2023 to address the increasing backlog of cases, a result of the initiative by Senior Judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
According to reports, under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, the meeting reviewed a one-month case management plan proposed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, which sets clear standards and integrates information technology to effectively manage all categories of cases.
All judges of the Supreme Court, including Justice Mansoor Shah, participated in the meeting via video link, which was convened by the Chief Justice.
The purpose of the meeting was to emphasize reducing the case backlog and improving judicial performance, as well as to review the Supreme Court’s efficiency in managing institutions and cases. Registrar Jazeela Aslam presented a comprehensive overview of the current caseload and outlined steps for the timely resolution of cases.
The registrar presented the latest statistics showing that 59,191 cases are pending and introduced a new one-month plan based on Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s Case Management Plan 2023, which includes clear standards for streamlining case management across various categories, as well as the use of information technology.
During discussions on the plan, judges considered various strategies to achieve the goals, with the monthly plan allocating criminal and civil cases to special two and three-member benches to expedite the case resolution process.
Judges also shared additional insights and recommendations to improve the system and reiterated their commitment to reducing the increasing number of cases.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, participating via video link, suggested further strategies aimed at reducing the case backlog and enhancing performance standards, with initial plans for one month and then for three and six months.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi thanked all judges for their commitment to fully implementing the Case Management Plan and mentioned that progress on this matter would be reviewed in the next full court meeting scheduled for December 2.
Since taking office, Chief Justice Afridi has formed a new three-judge committee under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, which includes Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, as established under Section 2(1) of this Act, as amended by Ordinance No. VIII of 2024.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has also scheduled a meeting with the administrative judges of anti-terrorism courts on November 7 to discuss progress reports, while the Supreme Judicial Council meeting is set for November 8.
To enhance the transparency system, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has ordered the expansion of live streaming services to additional courtrooms within the Supreme Court, with plans to implement this in all courtrooms.
