ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) on Thursday decided that courts would remain open at all levels by reducing the judicial work load so that the people working in the courts or visiting shall not be exposed to any risk of getting affected by coronavirus.
A meeting of the NJPMC was held here under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed.
Addressing the meeting, the CJP remarked that the courts will not compromise on the judicial system and not let it be derailed by getting panicked. He said that the apex judiciary of the country will ensure and take all the necessary preventive measures for health and safety of the judges, court staff, lawyers, litigants and other justice sector stakeholders up to the district and tehsil levels.
He said that detailed instructions have already been issued to all high courts to take all possible preventive measures by way of case management to ensure that the courtrooms are not crowded and physical contact between individuals is avoided.
After deliberations, the committee unanimously resolved that guidelines issued by the Supreme Court shall be adopted by the Federal Shariat Court and high courts up to the district and tehsil courts. Besides, the same may also be forwarded to the superior judiciary of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The committee also deliberated upon and directed that the jail inmates (prisoners) shall be protected from being exposed to the risk of coronavirus/infection without denial of their right of family meetings, however, authorities will make sure to adopt precautionary measures and regulate the procedure of meetings.
The committee also deliberated upon likelihood of jail inmates to be exposed to coronavirus coming from outside, therefore, visitors visiting jail premises should be examined and properly screened to avoid any threat of infection of coronavirus to the prisoners. If any prisoner is found infected, he will be quarantined within jail premises without any delay.
