ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court held a full court meeting on Monday to discuss the Case Management Plan 2023, initiated by senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, aimed at addressing the significant backlog of cases.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi led the meeting, where all Supreme Court judges were present, including Justice Mansoor Shah, who attended via video link from abroad. The focus was on assessing the court’s efficiency in handling cases and finding ways to reduce the backlog.
Registrar Jazeela Aslam shared current statistics showing 59,191 pending cases and presented a one-month plan that incorporates Justice Shah’s framework. This plan aims to streamline various categories of cases by setting clear standards and utilizing technology for better case management.
Judges discussed various strategies to fulfill the objectives of the plan, including assigning criminal and civil cases to specialized two- and three-member benches for quicker resolutions. Justice Shah contributed additional strategies to further reduce the backlog and improve efficiency, outlining plans for future months.
CJP Afridi expressed gratitude to the judges for their dedication to the successful implementation of the management plan, with progress assessments planned for the next full court meeting on December 2.
Since taking office, CJP Afridi has established a new committee under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, which includes Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar. He has scheduled meetings of key judicial committees and has also announced plans to expand live-streaming services to more courtrooms, improving transparency within the Supreme Court.
