Editorial
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi’s recent assertion that the judiciary must pivot from a traditional “court-centric” model to a “citizen-centric” framework marks a crucial paradigm shift in governance. The true benchmark of justice lies in ensuring that every citizen enjoys unhindered access to swift, affordable, and effective redressal without discrimination.
Decentralized Dispute Resolution and Community Empowerment
Republic Policy’s research directly challenges the hyper-judicialization of modern society. We contend that communities must be institutionally empowered to foster a culture of dialogue, accommodation, and conflict resolution at the local level. Barring high-level crimes involving serious human rights violations, disputes ought to be resolved at their point of origin.
While efficiency in justice delivery remains a functional and technical imperative, the empowerment of the judiciary is a fundamental constitutional matter.
Modernizing Justice Delivery Mechanisms
Efficiency can be dramatically improved by reinforcing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) frameworks at the grassroots level. Empowering traditional reconciliation (Musalihati) committees serves as an essential first step. Furthermore, transforming judicial administration through Artificial Intelligence and overhauling archaic paper-based filing systems are vital structural remedies.
Constitutional Safeguards: A Shared Mandate
However, these administrative streamlining measures must never be conflated with an attempt to compromise judicial independence. Republic Policy holds a nuanced perspective regarding the judiciary’s role as an organ of the state. As argued in our seminal work, Fixing the Judiciary, upholding the Constitution is a collective duty: the judiciary cannot unilaterally claim to be the sole custodian of the Constitution. Parliament, as the authentic voice of the sovereign people, stands as an equal guardian possessing its own indispensable constitutional prerogatives.
