RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Expanding the project of model courts further, the Chief Justice Lahore High Court has decided to establish model family and civil appellate courts in all the 32 districts in Punjab excluding Muzaffargarh, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Bahawalnagar.

Model sessions courts were established in February 2017 in four districts of Attock, Chiniot, Narowal and Vehari. The project was expanded to Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin and Rawalpindi.

Resultant to the remarkable results, the project of model courts was patronized and the Chief Justice of Pakistan wished that model courts be established for expeditious disposal of civil cases as well.

Districts Bahawalnagar, Jhelum, Muzaffargarh and Rawalpindi, thus, experienced establishment of model civil courts at both trial and appellate forums.

Till December 2017, 5,384 cases were decided by model sessions courts in seven districts whereas model civil courts in four districts decided 15,854 cases giving a sum total of 21,238 cases decided by model courts in 11 districts.

On 30 December, 2017, the remaining District and Sessions Judges of Punjab were instructed to establish one model civil court and one model sessions courts at district headquarters.

The model courts became functional in all the 36 districts of the province and decided 8,366 cases till Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali took oath as Chief Justice LHC. Model courts in all the districts of province showed remarkable performance and remained successful in deciding 20,666 cases by the end of May 2018.