Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Tuesday presided over the fifth interactive session on judicial reforms during which progress on ongoing reform initiatives and systemic challenges within the judiciary were reviewed.

According to an official announcement, the meeting was attended by senior officers of the Supreme Court, legal experts, representatives from the Federal Judicial Academy, and members of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP).

The session served as a comprehensive review of the institutional efforts aimed at streamlining the judicial process and enhancing access to justice.

The announcement noted that out of a total of 89 proposed reform measures, 26 have been fully implemented, while work on 84 is currently in progress. The implementation of 14 additional reforms is expected to commence in the near future.

Chief Justice Afridi expressed dissatisfaction over the continued delay in the classification and scanning of case files — a key element of the digitalisation drive — and directed that all such pending matters be resolved before the next review meeting.

“The reform process has resulted in a notable decline in the number of pending cases across the judiciary,” the statement added, without citing specific figures.

The session reiterated the judiciary’s commitment to transparency, citizen-centric reforms, and efficient dispensation of justice. These, the participants agreed, would remain the guiding principles in steering the reform process forward.

Chief Justice Afridi lauded the efforts of both the judicial and technical teams involved in the reform initiative and underscored the need for continuity in implementation. He emphasised that only sustained efforts could ensure meaningful transformation of the justice system.