A meeting between the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has resulted in a consensus on several measures aimed at improving case management and procedural efficiency in the Supreme Court.

According to an official statement, it was agreed that the Supreme Court will issue a monthly cause list in advance to help lawyers and litigants better plan their cases. In addition, the weekly cause list will now be released by Wednesday each week, bringing greater predictability to court schedules.

The meeting also decided that notice of de-listing of any case will be mandatory at least 48 hours in advance. If a case is de-listed within 24 hours, it will be re-fixed within the same week to avoid unnecessary delays. The policy regarding preliminary hearings will be followed strictly to ensure timely disposal of cases.

Special priority will be given to cases involving prisoners aged above 60 years. Matters that have been settled through compromise will also be taken up at the preliminary hearing stage to facilitate early resolution and reduce the overall backlog.

To improve communication with the legal community, it was agreed that judgments and court orders will be sent to lawyers immediately through email. This step is expected to enhance transparency and reduce delays in accessing official court decisions.

Approval was also granted for a new procedure regarding hearings after the lunch break. Under the new arrangement, post-lunch hearings will be held only on a joint request from the parties, and no adjournment will be allowed in such cases.

The meeting further decided that benches in branch registries will be constituted based on the number of pending cases to ensure a more balanced workload. Additionally, the Registrar will hear complaints on a daily basis from 11:00 am to 11:15 am, providing lawyers with a dedicated time slot to raise procedural concerns.

The agreement reflects a joint effort by the judiciary and the legal fraternity to streamline court processes, improve efficiency, and ensure quicker access to justice for litigants across the country.