The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday opened the New Judicial Year 2026-27 with a renewed commitment to speedier justice, better case management, improved services and measurable institutional reform.
The ceremony, held in Courtroom No. 1 of the Supreme Court of Pakistan here, was presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and attended by all Judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General for Pakistan, the Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, the President, Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, and numbers of members of the legal fraternity.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Justice reviewed the Court’s institutional reform agenda, structured around five key pillars: technology-enabled service delivery; access and transparency; strengthening of the legal and regulatory framework; leveraging national and international resources; and revitalisation of justice-sector institutions.
He apprised the gathering that, out of 86 reform actions across eight functional areas, 65 have been completed, eight are on track, while 13 require further attention. He emphasised that the ultimate objective of reform is better justice, with judicial independence accompanied by institutional accountability.
Highlighting the Court’s digital transformation, the Chief Justice referred to the digitisation and barcoding of pending and fresh cases, electronic transmission of orders and judgments, e-Office, paperless court systems and e-filing.
He emphasised that the next phase of digital reform must move beyond digitisation towards an integrated and interoperable digital justice architecture, supported by stronger data infrastructure and robust cybersecurity.
The Chief Justice also highlighted progress towards a National Standardised E-Filing Framework, aimed at bringing greater consistency to filing procedures across the Supreme Court, High Courts and District Judiciary and providing lawyers and litigants with a simpler and more predictable filing experience. Provincial Bar Councils and the Islamabad Bar Council have been engaged in the process, and the proposal has been placed before the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee.
On access to justice and public facilitation, the Chief Justice highlighted the establishment and strengthening of the Public Facilitation Centre, digital communication mechanisms, structured feedback systems and improved facilities for litigants, overseas Pakistanis and the media.
A Public Facilitation Centre at the Lahore Registry is targeted for completion by mid-November. The Court is also completed compliance with ISO certification, reflecting its commitment to standardization and quality management.
Under the Access to Justice Development Fund, courts and Bar rooms across the country have been provided with uninterrupted power or solar energy, facilities for women, e-libraries, internet connectivity and clean drinking water.
Implementation has been completed except in 12 districts of Balochistan, where security conditions continue to affect execution.
Reviewing case management, the Chief Justice reported significant progress in the disposal of priority categories of cases.
The Court has advanced death sentence appeals from 2015 to 2026, disposing of 613 appeals, with only 31 cases of 2026 remaining. In bail-before-arrest matters, the Court has progressed from 2016 to 2026, disposing of 2,972 petitions, with 115 cases of 2026 remaining. In bail-after-arrest matters, the Court has advanced from 2009 to 2026, deciding 2,926 petitions, leaving 185 cases of 2026.
In family cases, the Court has advanced from 2010 to 2026, deciding 1,752 cases, with 369 remaining, of which 310 relate to 2026.
In taxation matters, the Court has progressed from 2011 to 2021, deciding 691 cases, with 1,044 remaining, including 876 cases instituted during 2025 and 2026.
Rent pendency has been reduced to 133 cases, comprising 23 cases of 2025 and 110 of 2026. In service matters, 4,302 cases have been decided, leaving 3,660, including 2,115 cases instituted during 2025 and 2026.
The Chief Justice emphasised that effective case management requires close coordination among the Court Office, Bench and Bar, particularly in accurate categorisation, timely fixation, effective hearing management and avoidance of unnecessary adjournments.
The CJP highlighted the fixation of 40 per cent old cases, elimination of discretion in out-of-turn fixation, disposal of 202 cases in a single day, and the daily presence of the Registrar at the Public Facilitation Centre at 11:00 a.m for redressal of grievances.
He also referred to structured bench allocation for time-sensitive, early-hearing, corporate, commercial, fiscal, civil, service and labour matters, aimed at ensuring that cases are dealt with according to their nature, urgency and priority.
The Chief Justice also underscored the importance of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), observing that not every dispute needs to culminate in a judgment. Court-annexed mediation, where appropriate, can provide parties with a fair, timely and effective means of resolving disputes.
The Chief Justice highlighted the Court’s growing international judicial cooperation, including Memoranda of Understanding with the Supreme People’s Court of China and the Constitutional Court of Türkiye, with further collaborations underway with judicial institutions in Korea, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States.
Under these initiatives, four technical officers have been sent to Türkiye and five to China, while 12 judicial officers of the District Judiciary have visited Türkiye and 31 China for professional exposure and training.
The Attorney General for Pakistan commended the Chief Justice and the Judges of the Supreme Court for the progress made in reducing pendency and modernising the justice system, particularly in the areas of case management, digitisation, e-filing, video-link hearings, public facilitation, prison reform and ADR. He called for sustained efforts to ensure timely and effective justice.
The Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, Mr. Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti, appreciated improvements in case management, e-filing, public facilitation, video-link facilities and backlog reduction, while emphasising the importance of timely justice, ADR and constructive Bench-Bar engagement.
The President, Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, Mr. Haroon ur Rashid, also appreciated the establishment of facilitation centres, e-filing, digitisation and improved case management, observing that institutional and technological reforms must ultimately translate into timely, affordable and effective justice for litigants.
Concluding his address, the Chief Justice called for the New Judicial Year 2026-27 to be marked by better case management, better services, greater predictability and measurable institutional improvement.
He emphasised that the true measure of the judiciary lies in the trust it commands, the fairness it upholds, and the assurance it gives every citizen that they will be heard, treated with dignity and given justice.
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