KARACHI:
Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar has said that a plan to set up more courts and increase the number of civil judges has been finalised. He also urged that social media be used positively and not for spreading negativity in society.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Free Legal Research Service organised by the DG Lawyers. Justice Ghaffar said that through recent amendments, civil cases had been shifted from the SHC to the district courts to minimise inconvenience to litigants and simplify the transfer process. Issues relating to jurisdiction in civil matters had also been resolved, he added.
The chief justice said that the plan for more courts had been discussed with the chief justice of Pakistan along with the construction of a Judicial Complex. He said that in a recent Supreme Court meeting, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) was also discussed and it was decided to frame a policy for it. He clarified that judgments could not be produced with one click nor could cases be prepared by pushing a single button, though IT support was being fully utilised.
He said the SHC had upgraded its equipment, set up a research cell with civil judges, and improved its official website to include detailed judgments and case information. Orders downloaded from the site could now be verified through a tracking system, and the certified copy system was being computerised.
Justice Ghaffar said that in Karachi, affidavits in high court cases could now be attested from any circuit bench, and work was under way to make the same facility available for district court affidavits. Judgments, along with case diaries, would also be uploaded to the website.
Advising the public, he said: “People should not spread harmful content on social media, but share positive things.”
Speaking at the event, Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) President Barrister Sarfaraz Metlo said the bar was working for the welfare of lawyers and the supremacy of law and the Constitution, but its projects were not being publicised.
He said that after the shifting of civil courts, the existing district court infrastructure had become insufficient and the number of civil judges needed to be increased. A free shuttle service was being run between the SHC, City Court, and Malir Court for lawyers’ convenience, he added.
The ceremony was attended by Justice Agha Faisal, bar officials, and senior lawyers. Under the free legal research service, lawyers will now have access to case information from 1947 to 2025.
