On July 12th, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) issued a notice for the appointment of four ad hoc judges from among retired justices, aiming to tackle the substantial backlog of 54,000 pending cases in the Supreme Court. The JCP, responsible for appointing judges to superior courts, will meet on Friday to deliberate on this crucial decision.
The commission, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, will consider the names of retired justices Mushir Alam, Maqbool Baqar, Mazhar Alam Miankhel, and Sardar Tariq Masood for the ad hoc appointments. These judges, who retired between 2021 and 2024, will serve for three years alongside the current 17 permanent justices of the Supreme Court. The appointment aims to utilize their experience to expedite case resolutions.
The Supreme Court’s registrar highlighted in an official note that, despite significant efforts, the accumulation of cases continues. Chief Justice Isa emphasized the importance of appointing experienced judges as ad hoc members to manage the overwhelming number of cases. This strategic move is expected to enhance the court’s capacity to resolve more cases than are being filed, effectively reducing the backlog.
A bi-annual report by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan earlier this year revealed a 3.9% increase in overall case pendency during the second half of 2023, reaching 2.26 million cases. Of these, 82% are at the district judiciary level, while the remaining 18% are at the upper tier, including the Supreme Court, Federal Shariat Court, and High Courts. The proposed appointment of ad hoc judges is seen as a necessary step towards improving the efficiency of Pakistan’s legal system and ensuring timely justice.
