PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has introduced a comprehensive reform package aimed at modernizing the judicial system, enhancing transparency, and making justice more accessible to the public.
According to a press release issued by the PHC on Monday, the initiative seeks to ensure the provision of affordable, speedy, and efficient justice.The reform package, introduced under the leadership of Chief Justice SM Attique Shah, proposes several key changes to both the criminal and civil justice systems.
These include secure management of case property in narcotics cases, the introduction of QR codes and modern tracking systems, e-filing, e-payments, digital case management, as well as transcription and translation services.
The package proposes measures to strengthen investigation and prosecution mechanisms, enhance witness protection procedures, modernize judicial record management, reduce case backlogs, and establish court-annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution centres for the swift settlement of disputes.
At the institutional level, the reforms include improvements in the recruitment, promotion, training, and performance evaluation of judicial officers, the establishment of a Judicial Service Tribunal, and the provision of better residential and administrative facilities for judicial staff.
The objective of these reforms is to strengthen judicial independence, transparency, accountability, and institutional capacity while promoting a technology-driven modern justice system across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The measures are said to be the result of recommendations and continuous efforts by the Administration Committee and other judicial officers under the leadership of the Chief Justice.The court has successfully implemented the e-Office system, which is being regarded as a major step toward judicial digitalization and institutional modernization.
The system will be expanded in the next phase to include special courts and other relevant institutions across the province.Through the e-Office system, traditional paper-based files have been replaced by a secure and modern digital platform.
This is expected to significantly reduce delays in file movement, minimize the risk of record loss, and address storage-related challenges. The system will facilitate faster processing of cases and administrative matters, provide immediate access to records, improve coordination among different departments, and promote transparency and accountability.
The e-Office system has been developed by the court’s IT Branch under the supervision of the registrar, reflecting the judiciary’s commitment to adopting modern technology and improving governance standards.
The system has already been extended to the district judiciary and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy.In the next phase, it will also be expanded to special courts and other related institutions throughout the province.
