In response to the escalating caseload and prolonged litigation in the Islamabad Capital Territory, the National Assembly has introduced a bill aimed at enhancing the pecuniary jurisdiction of District Courts. The proposed legislation seeks to align the pecuniary jurisdiction of District Courts in Islamabad with those in other provinces, effectively increasing their authority to entertain appeals arising from decrees or orders of Civil Judges.
The Islamabad High Court is experiencing a significant surge in the number of appeals filed against orders and decrees of Civil Courts, with many cases involving property disputes. The high property prices in the Islamabad Capital Territory have contributed to this increase in litigation, as the valuation of most Regular First Appeals now exceeds two million rupees.
According to amendment clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 18 of the West Pakistan Civil Courts Ordinance, 1962, the Islamabad High Court has appellate jurisdiction for cases exceeding two and a half million rupees. However, despite amendments to increase the appellate jurisdiction of other high courts, such as the Lahore High Court, to fifty million rupees, the jurisdiction of the Islamabad High Court remains unchanged.
In an effort to alleviate the burden of litigation on the appellate side of the Islamabad High Court, a new bill has been proposed. The bill aims to shift the jurisdiction for entertaining appeals arising from decrees or orders of Civil Judges to the District Court. By doing so, it is hoped that the workload on the Islamabad High Court’s appellate division will be reduced, allowing for more efficient handling of cases and timely justice delivery.
The proposed bill seeks to address the challenges posed by the high property prices in Islamabad, which have led to an influx of appeals and prolonged pendency of cases in the appellate courts. If enacted, the bill could potentially streamline the appellate process and improve access to justice for litigants in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
