ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday approved a comprehensive Judicial Austerity and Energy Conservation Strategy aimed at ensuring responsible use of national resources while maintaining uninterrupted access to justice across the country.
The austerity strategy was approved during a virtual meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), held here at the Supreme Court and chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
The meeting was attended by the chief justices of Federal Shariat Court, Lahore High Court, Islamabad High Court, Peshawar High Court, Sindh High Court and Balochistan High Court. The attorney general for Pakistan attended on special invitation. The NJPMC resolved that courts across Pakistan will adopt a series of practical measures designed to reduce fuel consumption, limit operational costs and promote efficient use of resources without compromising the delivery of justice.
Among the key measures approved — which would remain in force until further orders — the Federal Shariat Court and high courts would observe a four-day working week (Monday to Thursday) to reduce fuel consumption and operational expenditure. However, to ensure that urgent judicial and administrative functions continue without disruption on Fridays and Saturdays, the courts might take necessary internal governance measures keeping in view their operational priorities.
Likewise, the district courts would work for four days a week (Monday to Thursday) at full capacity, while the respective high courts would keep their human resource at a bare minimum on Fridays and Saturdays, based on workload and performance benchmarks.
The meeting further resolved that the monthly ceiling for petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) allocated to judges of the Federal Shariat Court and high courts would be reduced by 50 percent, while that for judicial officers by 25 percent.
Similarly, it was decided that no additional protocol or security vehicles would be deployed during movement within designated high-security zones. However, the quarters concerned would ensure route security as per required protocols. While the Federal Shariat Court and high courts would rationalise security and protocol, the judges and judicial officers serving in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would maintain their security as per circumstances.
The meeting also resolved that litigants and counsel would be encouraged to participate in proceedings through video-link facilities, where feasible, including from the premises of high courts and district courts.
Likewise, the meeting decided that the Federal Shariat Court and high courts would implement rotational attendance arrangements for staff, wherever practicable, to minimise commuting and reduce energy consumption while maintaining essential court functions.
Meanwhile, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), in pursuance of the austerity and fuel conservation measures announced by the federal government, also adopted measures until further orders. The FCC made a maximum reduction in the fuel provision for official vehicles in its use, besides approving the observance of a four-day work week (Monday to Thursday), with Friday to Sunday as holidays. The austerity drive measures have been issued with the approval of FCC chief justice, says a notification issued on Tuesday.
