Justice in Family Cases – Islamabad High Court’s Revolutionary Reforms.
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Swift Justice in Family Cases – Islamabad High Court’s Revolutionary Reforms |
فیملی مقدمات میں تیز تر انصاف – اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ کی جدید اصلاحات
انصاف میں تاخیر، انصاف سے انکار کے مترادف ہے، خاص طور پر فیملی مقدمات میں جہاں تاخیر خاندانوں کے لیے ذہنی اور جذباتی دباؤ کا باعث بنتی ہے۔ اس چیلنج سے نمٹنے کے لیے اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ نے انقلابی اصلاحات متعارف کرائی ہیں، جن کا مقصد فیملی مقدمات میں تیز، آسان اور جدید انصاف فراہم کرنا ہے۔
ڈیجیٹل دور میں انصاف – ای-کورٹس کا قیام
اب فیملی عدالتوں میں ای-کورٹس قائم کی جائیں گی جہاں فریقین ویڈیو بیانات ریکارڈ کر کے آن لائن پیش کر سکیں گے۔ یہ روایتی تحریری دعووں کے جھنجھٹ کو کم کر کے فوری انصاف فراہم کرنے میں مدد دے گا۔
ویڈیو لنک کے ذریعے سماعت – عدالت کی دہلیز پر انصاف
خصوصی طور پر خواتین اور بچوں کو سہولت دینے کے لیے انہیں ویڈیو لنک کے ذریعے بیان ریکارڈ کرنے کی اجازت ہوگی، تاکہ انہیں بار بار عدالتوں کے چکر نہ لگانے پڑیں۔
ای-فائلنگ اور ڈیجیٹل سمن – کاغذی کارروائی کا خاتمہ
اب عدالت میں ای-فائلنگ سسٹم متعارف کیا جائے گا، جہاں دعوے اور جوابات آن لائن جمع کرائے جا سکیں گے۔ سمن کی ترسیل صرف گھریلو پتے تک محدود نہیں ہوگی، بلکہ واٹس ایپ، ای میل، فیس بک اور ٹوئٹر جیسے جدید ذرائع بھی مستند تصور کیے جائیں گے۔
التوا کی حد – تاخیری حربے نامنظور!
مدعا علیہ کو پیشی کے دن ہی تحریری جواب دینا ہوگا، اور غیر ضروری تاخیر کی اجازت نہیں دی جائے گی۔ زیادہ سے زیادہ 15 دن میں جواب داخل کرنا لازمی ہوگا، ورنہ سخت کارروائی ہوگی۔
نان و نفقہ کے فوری فیصلے
اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ نے ہدایت دی ہے کہ نان و نفقہ جیسے اہم مسائل کے فیصلے صرف 3 سے 6 دن کے اندر کیے جائیں تاکہ بیوی اور بچوں کو دربدر نہ ہونا پڑے۔
مصالحت اور ثالثی – عدالت سے پہلے مسئلے کا حل
فیملی ججز کو پابند کیا گیا ہے کہ مقدمے کے آغاز میں مصالحت کا موقع فراہم کریں، تاکہ فریقین عدالتی کارروائی سے پہلے ہی کسی قابل قبول حل پر پہنچ سکیں۔
ججوں کی کارکردگی پر سخت نگرانی
اب ضلعی جج ہر فیملی عدالت کی کارکردگی پر نظر رکھیں گے، اور جو جج فیصلے مقررہ وقت میں نہ کر سکے، اس کے خلاف کارروائی کی جائے گی۔
ماہرین نفسیات کی شمولیت – خاندانی مسائل کا انسانی حل
عدالتوں میں ماہرین نفسیات اور فیملی کونسلرز کی خدمات حاصل کی جائیں گی تاکہ فریقین کو جذباتی اور ذہنی دباؤ سے نکالا جا سکے، اور مقدمات کو غیر ضروری پیچیدگیوں سے بچایا جا سکے۔
نتیجہ – انصاف کی رفتار میں انقلابی تبدیلی
اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ کی یہ اصلاحات پاکستانی عدالتی نظام میں نیا سنگ میل ثابت ہوں گی۔ ای-کورٹس، ویڈیو لنک، ای-فائلنگ، اور فوری فیصلوں کے ذریعے فیملی مقدمات کو تیز تر، مؤثر اور عوام دوست بنایا جا رہا ہے۔ اب وہ دن دور نہیں جب لوگ سالوں کے انتظار کی بجائے، مہینوں اور ہفتوں میں انصاف حاصل کر سکیں گے۔ یہ اصلاحات نہ صرف عدالتی بوجھ کم کریں گی بلکہ خاندانوں کے مسائل کو بھی جلد حل کرنے میں مددگار ثابت ہوں گی۔
Must read Judgement
PLJ 2025 Islamabad 6
2024 CLC 1801
Therefore, it is responsibility of the State as well as of this Court to draw such mechanism and procedure to eliminate the delays and to provide speedy mechanism of dispensation of justice in the family cases to every woman and child. No doubt the men will also be beneficiary of such directions, hence, this Court directs that:
i. While reaping benefits of modern era, digitalization and rapid development in IT sector, Special E-Courts be established in which pleadings centric approach may not be the part of the process rather claim based concept be considered more appropriate and any party in a family dispute can record their video statement and transmit the same to the trial Court to prove his/her claim and relief claimed in detail, thereafter, on the basis of such statement the Judge Family Court shall confront to the other party and decide the matter while considering his/her recorded message in place of the written pleadings.
ii. Islamabad High Court shall provide E-kiosk which shall transform and transmit the pleadings into E-Filing system which should be recorded in a separate E-System software and in this manner the case be presented to Judge Family Court in the IT System on multiple media screens.
iii. The Judge Family Court after issuing notice in terms of the West Pakistan Family Court Act, 1964, may direct the opponent party to record their statement through video link facility and in the same session of video link hearing of both the parties in presence of their counsel or otherwise, subject to satisfaction that the parties have verified their identity may proceed accordingly and decide the case forthwith.
iv. The Family Court issues a summons to the defendant under Section 8(1) of the Family Court Act, it must notify the fact that the defendant is bound to submit his written statement on the date fixed for appearance, as per Section 9 (1) of the Act. The family Court has to curtail unnecessary time consumption on filing of wakalatnama and multiple adjournments for submitting the written statement, thereby reducing delays in the proceedings.
v. To curtail unnecessary delays, and to strictly comply with Sections 8 (1) and 9 (1) of the Act if the defendant seeks adjournment, it should be on a daily basis, subject to cost, and the reasons for the adjournment should be reflected in the order sheet. The adjournments sought by the defendant for filing the written statement should not stretch more than fifteen days in any eventuality.
vi. Any application if filed before the family judge in presence of other party the same should be confronted to the other side and approach should be to decide such an application preferably within three days and unnecessary adjournments may not be granted for submission of replies or amendments in pleadings as it is already settled proposition of law that technicalities of civil procedure code are not applicable in family cases.
vii. Additionally, Family Court judges must comply with Section 10 (1 & 2) of the Act, which requires examining the plaint, written statement, evidence, and documents to understand controversies and address jurisdictional or ancillary matters. If a defendant challenges the Court’s jurisdiction instead of filing a written statement, the Family Court must first require the written statement with the jurisdictional plea included, and decide on it during the pre-trial hearing.
viii. Before proceeding with any family suit, the Judge Family Court must provide both parties, the opportunity to settle the issue through a one-on-one session, without interference of a third person as expressed under Section 10(3) of The West Pakistan Family Court Act, 1964. Additionally, the opportunity for mediation shall also be provided at the first instance.
ix. The Judge Family Court has already been exempted from technical procedural aspects of conducting the proceedings in terms of Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984, or under Civil Procedure Code, 1908, therefore, Judge Family Court can adopt any procedure instead of lengthy concept of trial within Family Court Act, 1964.
x. Any of the Judge of the family Court who has not concluded the family suit within the time line provided under Section 2-A of West Pakistan Family Court Act, 1964, shall be considered liable for misconduct by the concerned District Judges as to why the family cases were not proceeded in a manner referred in the West Pakistan Family Court Act, 1964, by adopting the time line in a strict sense.
xi. Every District Judge of the concerned Division shall himself/herself verify and inspect on different intervals case files of each family Court and pass necessary directions for decision of the family suits within the prescribed period as well as direct the judges to follow the different time lines provided under the law, violation if any be reported in writing.
xii. By adopting the modern devices, IT concept and processes, institution branch shall direct each counsel as well as party to provide their telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers and e-mails for the purposes of services of summons so that the service should not be restricted to the residential or official address as the case may be and any other mode of service on the basis of text message, e-mail, whatsapp, facebook or twitter shall be treated valid subject to its proof.
xiii. The parties should be encouraged, especially, women, to record their statement through video link facility on the date of hearing and the Family Court Judges shall encourage litigants to use modern technologies of video link and the facilities of E-Courts.
xiv. The Family Judge not adhering to the spirit of law shall be given fair chance of counseling by the concerned District Judge and if after at least two sessions, any of the Judge Family Court fails to adopt the procedure provided under the law, he/she shall be treated under the efficiency and discipline mechanism accordingly in a fair manner.
xv. Only those cases are exception to clause (x) above, in which disputed question of facts require deeper appreciation.
xvi. The Judge Family Court shall enquire the financial and social status of husband/father as the case may be in any family suit while fixing the maintenance of minor or the wife or ex-wife for her iddat period as the case may be in accordance with the yardsticks settled in PLD 2009 [Lahore] 18 (Mst. Sitwat Chughtai vs. Judge Family Court, Lahore), 2015 YLR 2364 (Tahir Ayub Khan vs. Miss Aliya Anwar), PLD 2018 [SC] 819 (Muhammad Asim vs. Mst. Samro Begum), 2020 CLC 131 (Dr. Aqeel Waris vs. Ibrahim Aqeel) and PLD 2009 [SC] 760 (Tauqeer Ahmad Qureshi vs. Additional District Judge Lahore) and shall decide the fate of interim maintenance in terms of Section 7-A of the West Pakistan Family Court Act, 1964, preferably within period of three to six days.
xvii. The Registrar of this Court shall also arrange services of clinical psychologist as well as child psychologist in the Family Courts for counseling sessions of the Family Judges as well as to the husband and wife, including parties in family suits so that a family unit may be saved from rigors of trial, delay and cost which are ordinarily faced by the parties in the judicial process, subject to availability of these experts as family counselors to provide services.
xviii. In order to achieve the directions, the High Court may call any expert, INGO, NGO or University for provision of any dedicated system, supportive mechanism or program which could effectively resolve the longstanding issues of family disputes including training of Judges and lawyers, etc.
xix. The Registrar as well as MIT of this Court shall ensure that all such directions be notified after due approval by the AC Committee of this Court and implement the directions by arranging all such required facilities.
SUMAIRA SHAHEEN etc.versus JUDGE FAMILY COURT.