December 19, 2017: CODE PAKISTAN held a round of national judicial consultations with the judges from all over Pakistan in Islamabad today. The national judicial consultations were held in Islamabad with an aim to get their perspective on the high number of under-trial prisoners and how to address overcrowding in prisons with special reference to high pre-conviction detention. The national judicial consultations were part of the nation-wide study being conducted by CODE PAKISTAN to identify the causes and consequences of high numbers of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) leading to overcrowding in Pakistan’s prisons and coming up with a thorough assessment of the criminal justice system with regard to delays in the processing and adjudication of cases. CODE PAKISTAN is conducting the said study on the formal request of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), which is mandated to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), unanimously agreed upon by the political leadership of the country in December 2014.
Revamping of the criminal justice system is the 20th point of NAP. CODE PAKISTAN’s study will be dovetailed to NACTA’s efforts in conducting research on Point 20 of NAP mentioned above.
The national judicial consultations were presided over by Director Research and Analysis Wing at NACTA Mr. Inam Malik. Mr. Malik initiated the session by welcoming the guests and giving a brief introduction to the work done so far and the future activities for the project on addressing overcrowding by reducing pre-conviction detention in Pakistan. He highlighted that the project was in furtherance of the National Action Plan\’s Point 20 on revamping of the criminal justice system and updated participants on the consultations held until then with prison officers, prosecution departments, law bar councils, and other concerned government departments. Mr. Malik informed the attending judges that the project findings and recommendations would be submitted to NACTA and further to the Ministry of Interior.
Thereafter, President CODE PAKISTAN Mr. Dilawar Khan addressed the attending judges with a presentation detailing the severity of the problem of prison overcrowding and the purpose and direction of the project for tackling the issue in partnership with NACTA. He apprised participants of the activities and meetings held with various criminal justice actors and stressed upon the importance of judicial input to the process. Mr. Khan observed that the subject of prison reform was one that required a comprehensive and wholesome approach involving the whole of the criminal justice system. He stated that the project would generate a detailed report identifying and addressing the root causes of overcrowding in prisons which would later be shared with all stakeholders for review before being finalized as a roadmap for further action.
The consultations were held in a very cordial atmosphere with a candid exchange of views on the subject including understaffing of the judiciary, inadequacy of the prison infrastructure, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, Criminal Justice Coordination Committees, National Judicial Policy, parole and probation, frivolous litigation, and capacity of the lawyers.
Participants of the consultations included judges from all four provinces of Pakistan, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.