ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Thursday stressed the need for improving the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan by promoting effective changes, research, capacity-building and restructuring its budget to address the needs of the society regarding judicial system.

The meeting of the sub-committee of Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice held under the chairmanship of Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, which was attended among others by Senator Walid Iqbal, got the input of the senior lawyers and bar associations on the subject.

The participants discussed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan Ordinance, 1979 and gave their inputs to improve the effectiveness and contributions of the commission in order to address the evolving needs of the society and the judicial system.

Amjad Shah, vice president Pakistan Council suggested amendments in sections G, 6(2) and 6(4) of the Pakistan Law and Justice Commission Ordinance, 1979. Raja Inam Ameen, president Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) suggested that the composition of the commission should have at least one member each from the upper and lower houses of the Parliament. He also remarked that there should be a systematic mechanism on implementation and further work on the recommendations of the commission so that the purpose of the commission is fulfilled. The function of the commission is not just to give recommendations and present annual reports but to improve the legal system of Pakistan.

Malaika, head of department of Law Department at Bahria University Islamabad observed that the Commission can also be tasked to prepare a framework for legal education as well and remove the glitches.

Former Secretary Law and Justice Commission Mohammad Sarwar Khan told the committee that the major problem with the commission is that the required skill set is not there and the work is widespread. He said that the work is not commendable because there is no monitoring concept and all work is mere recommendatory. He said that there is no research, capacity building or restructuring budget.

The committee observed there is an overlap of functions of the Law and Justice Commission, National Judicial Policy Committee and the Ministry of Law and Justice. The work coincides with other bodies and sometimes overreaches the jurisdiction of the executive and the legislature.

The committee was also told if there is no monitoring standard, the work doesn’t get done. The Commission is just responsible to disburse the fund under the allocated heads and from there on there is no oversight. There is little or no analytical research capacity in the Commission.