The Supreme Court (SC) Saturday released ‘Journey Through Reform & Innovation-2026’, a report documenting judicial and institutional reforms undertaken from November 2024 to September 2026. The report presents a comprehensive account of court’s reform journey, highlighting progress in case management, reduction of pendency, digital transformation, institutional accountability and public access to justice. It documents implementation of an 86-point reform action plan, supported by a structured governance mechanism, dedicated working groups and regular review of reform initiatives.
There is a general perception that judiciary of the country is plagued with serious challenges because of long neglect in initiating meaningful reforms enabling it to deliver as per expectations of the people. Credit goes to incumbent Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who spearheaded a reform agenda that focuses on five fundamental pillars: service delivery, access to justice, transparency, strengthening legal and regulatory framework, and improving functionality of justice sector institutions. Appreciably, out of 86 planned reform measures across various sectors, 65 measures have already been completed, while remaining ones are actively on track. The report records a substantial increase in case disposals, with a targeted focus on resolving old and long-pending cases to counter massive court backlogs. The Chief Justice is displaying keen interest in digitisation of judicial working and processes and as a result, it is hoped, performance and delivery will improve besides ensuring transparency.
There is visible progress in implementation of e-filing, QR codes on court judgments, expanded video-link hearings, citizen feedback portals, and use of artificial intelligence and judicial analytics for scheduling through platforms coordinated by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. Working alongside the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, reforms have focused on time-bound disposal of priority cases and establishment of Model Trial Courts. There are also efforts aimed at expanding ADR mechanisms, commercial courts, and gender-based violence courts to divert pressure away from mainstream civil and criminal dockets. Hopefully, continued focus of the Chief Justice on his reform agenda will help bring about a significant change for the better but much needs to be done to ensure expeditious disposal of cases, simplification of procedures and accountability of judges and staff across all tiers of judiciary in the country.