Islamabad: A meeting of the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) focused on the implementation of e-filing and the new “One Case, One Identity” initiative was chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Yahya Afridi. The meeting, attended by various high-ranking judicial officials both in person and online, aimed to streamline digital processes across the country’s judicial system.

According to Press Information Department, the meeting discussed strategies for the initial rollout of e-filing, which will begin with family cases in select courts across all provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory. The Chief Justice also introduced the “One Case, One Identity” initiative, intended to assign a unique identifier to each case throughout its judicial progression. He noted that the preliminary draft of this initiative had been shared with the NJAC for review before further deliberation by the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee.

NJAC Chairman, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, led discussions on creating a uniform e-filing template. He highlighted the need for a single, comprehensive template applicable across all regions, aligning with the Code of Civil Procedure. The goal is to ensure that the template is accessible to judges, court staff, advocates, and litigants.

Justice Mazhar requested committee members to provide feedback on the template within two weeks, emphasizing the need for a secure and user-friendly framework. Additionally, the Chairman reviewed a new dashboard for real-time judicial data tracking, noting participation from High Courts but expressing concern over delayed data from Prison Departments, which he directed to be addressed promptly.

These initiatives are part of broader efforts to enhance the judiciary’s digital capabilities, improve data accessibility, and make court services more efficient.