Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi said that all Supreme Court judges are independent and should not be kept in brackets. On Monday, in an interview with members of the ÚS press association, the CJP stated that all judges worked in a cordial environment. “Gone are the days when judges took positions against each other,” he added. Commenting on SCP internal affairs, the CJP said that no one wishes to impose their thinking on others and judges move forward with collective wisdom. The chief justices said that the media is free to criticize judges and judgments, but the criticism should be constructive and for a better cause. All judges are independent and none of them should be “bracketed”. Regarding the number of cases, the CJP said that disposal of more than 8,000 cases in a short span of time in the Supreme Court is an achievement. He said he still feels embarrassed when he hears inmates in various prisons complaining about protracted lawsuits with no conclusion, but assured him that the ongoing reform process in the judicial system will significantly reduce the backlog of cases. Briefing the Press Association about his reform agenda, CJP Afridi said that through active use of IT, every litigant will be kept informed of all orders and developments in his case through email and WhatsApp. If we move in the right direction and through better case management, we will reduce the backlog significantly and soon, the CJP said. The CJP added that the district judiciary functions under the High Courts and the Supreme Court does not interfere in their affairs. “I have a lot of respect for the high court and the district judiciary,” he said. Regarding the ongoing process of judicial reforms, the CJP said that soon there would be a suitable mechanism to deal with urgent petitions. Special benches for tax and criminal cases are to be set up and free legal aid will be provided at the district level to deserving parties. About the Supreme Judicial Commission, the CJP said that proceedings against several judges are pending in the Supreme Judicial Council. He admired Justice Mansoor Ali Shah for his contribution to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system and said that soon ADR would be introduced in Islamabad while it would take time in the rest of the country.
