Judicial reforms
Why is Pakistan’s justice system perceived to be a ‘weak’ system? Why is it failing to safeguard the lives and property of citizens and protect contracts to boost the economy?…
Judicial independence
All the rights secured to citizens under the constitution are worth nothing if they are not guaranteed by an independent judiciary. An independent judiciary forms the core of any justice…
Issues in judicial reform
The celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Lahore High Court offered a good opportunity for discussions on ways to strengthen the judicial system so that it could better guarantee…
Reforming justice?
The 26th Amendment to the constitution can be seen as a devil’s bargain and a double-edged sword. This amendment was passed by a parliament that has consistently failed to fulfill…
Representation and the legal community
The legal community considers the constitution of Pakistan its holy grail. It does its utmost to ensure rule of law but has perhaps forgotten or chosen to ignore Article 34…
Riddled with biases
WHILST there are many problems with the 26th Amendment, perhaps the most glaring one is the composition of the restructured Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). By granting the executive a…
Is this bar leadership or a boys’ club?
US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once famously remarked, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time”. In Pakistan, those steps aren’t just obstructed but actively cemented…
Fighting monopolisation
THE letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) detailing interference in judicial work by intelligence agencies is an important and brave intervention. By linking it to…
26th Amendment: the good, bad and ugly
After months of political drama, the Constitution (twenty-sixth Amendment) Act 2024 has received the president’s assent, officially amending Pakistan’s constitution. This amendment recalibrates the balance of power between the three…
We need an FCC
The establishment of civilian supremacy and an effective Dispute Resolution Forum (DRF) between the provinces and the federal government has been neglected since August 1947. Major political parties, in particular…
