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New judicial policy will be enforced from June 1

* Bail applications will be decided within seven days, criminal cases in 6-12 months, banking, tax, family cases in 6 months
* Cases of women, children to be given priority

By Masood Rehman

ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) approved a new judicial policy for quick disposal of cases on Sunday, but decided to announce it on May 30 and enforce it from June 1.

The decision was made in a meeting in Islamabad with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in chair.

The approved policy includes decision of all pre- and post-arrest bail cases in seven days, criminal cases punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years registered after January 1, 2009 within six months, and those punishable with imprisonment exceeding seven years (including death) within one year.

All civil writ petitions would be fixed for Kachi Peshi (preliminary hearing) on the next day of their institution, writ petitions involving service matters would be decided within 60 days, and all stay matters would be decided with 15 days of grant of interim injunction, according to the new policy, and in case of delay, reasons would be furnished to the high court.

Rent cases would be decided within four months in trial courts and appeals would be decided within two months, according to the new policy, family cases including custody of minors, succession certificates, and letters of administration insolvency and maintenance would be decided within six months. Civil appeals of family cases, custody of minors and against interim orders would be decided within 30 days.

Cases relating to banking and taxes and duties would be decided within six months, the approved policy says.

Priority would be given to quick disposal of cases of women and children, rent cases, stay orders, bail matters, small claims and minor offences.

The committee asked the provincial governments to release deserving convicts on parole or probation in line with the Probation of Offenders Ordinance of 1960 and Good Conduct Prisoners Probation Releases Act of 1926.

It also asked the provincial governments of Punjab, Balochistan and NWFP to move condemned prisoners whose appeals are pending in high courts from death cells to barracks as done by the Sindh government, and to build new jails or enhance the capacity of the existing ones.

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