ISLAMABAD: A full court meeting of the Supreme Court on Monday adopted the Case Management Plan 2023 a brainchild of judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah to address the growing backlog of cases in the top court.

The meeting, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, reviewed a one-month case management plan under the one devised by Justice Shah, which establishes clear standards and integrates information technology to effectively manage all categories of cases.

Convened by the CJP, the meeting was attended by all SC judges, including Justice Mansoor Shah, who joined via video link from abroad.

The focus was to evaluate the Supreme Court’s performance in institution and disposal of cases, with an emphasis on reducing case backlog and improving judicial efficiency. Registrar Jazeela Aslam provided a comprehensive overview of the current caseload and outlined steps for timely case resolution.

The registrar presented updated statistics, showing that 59,191 cases were pending, and introduced the newly devised one-month plan based on the Case Management Plan 2023 prepared by Justice Shah. The plan includes setting clear standards and employing information technology to streamline case management across different categories.

Discussing the plan, the judges explored a variety of strategies to meet its goals. Criminal and civil cases, as outlined in the monthly plan, were allocated to specialised two- and three-member benches to expedite case resolution.

The judges also shared additio­nal insights and recommendations to improve the system, reaffirming their commitment to addressing the backlog of cases.