Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has announced the formation of evening judicial benches to hear applications seeking early hearings. The decision aims to help reduce the backlog of pending cases and improve judicial efficiency.
Speaking at a full court meeting, CJP Yahya Afridi said the policy for fixing cases had been made available online. He added that no case was now fixed even on the direction of the chief justice.
The chief justice also rejected the perception that judges take three months of leave. He clarified that judges take only one month of leave during a three-month period, addressing concerns about judicial availability.
According to CJP Yahya Afridi, as many as 75 cases had been fixed before a single bench on one day. He said the case-fixing policy was available on the court’s website, while two officers recheck cases included in the cause list.
Justice Yahya Afridi said a separate bench was being constituted specifically to hear applications seeking early hearings. The bench will also sit in the evening to deal with such applications and facilitate quicker proceedings.
The chief justice further announced that the Shariat Appellate Bench would sit for one week every two months. The measure is intended to provide an additional opportunity for cases falling within its jurisdiction to be heard.
The latest steps announced by CJP Yahya Afridi are aimed at improving the pace of judicial proceedings and facilitating litigants seeking earlier hearings. Evening benches and the updated case-fixing process are expected to support efforts to manage pending cases.
