NCJ Number
94524
Date Published
1983
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The existing judicial system in Pakistan, introduced by the British, is too sophisticated for an agrarian society and is so alien to Pakistani traditions that it should be replaced by a system which would streamline cumbersome procedures and incorporate Islamic principles.
Abstract
While a number of Law Reform Commissions have instituted reforms, long delays remain in the disposal of cases. Innovations include separation of the detective, watch, and ward staff; establishment of a Crime Reporting Center in Karachi; creation of criminal investigation offices in each provincial police headquarters; and procurement of trained tracker dogs for each provincial headquarters. Other reforms include changes in criminal warrant procedures, liberalization of bail law, and incorporation of compensation and restoration. Shariat Courts determine un-Islamic laws enacted during British rule. An Advisory Council of Islamic Ideology oversees the enactment of Hudood laws which provide Islamic punishment of larceny, robbery, rape, adultery, kidnapping or abduction of girls for prostitution, and drinking. Advisory Council draft legislation for murder cases provides revenge and compensation penalties. Area and district level Courts of Qazis (Judges), streamlined trial procedures, and Sharia standards for civil and criminal procedures and evidence will pave the way for Islamization of the judicial system and the effective separation of the executive and judiciary branches. Because those working in the justice system need training in the principles of the Koran, an institute for training in Sharia and the legal profession has been started at the Islamic University in Islamabad.