Summary Following the chief justice’s direction, the Director General of District Judiciary Punjab has issued a letter to sessions judges in 28 districts across the province
LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) - Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has taken notice of the prolonged detention of undertrial prisoners and directed that cases involving accused persons who have been in custody for more than three years be decided within two months.
Following the chief justice’s direction, the Director General of District Judiciary Punjab has issued a letter to sessions judges in 28 districts across the province.
The letter directs the judges to dispose of cases involving undertrial accused who have remained in custody for more than three years on a fast-track basis.
According to the judicial directive, all such cases must be taken up on a priority basis and decided within two months.
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All sessions judges in Punjab have also been instructed to ensure that cases involving undertrial prisoners detained for more than three years are concluded within the stipulated period and to submit compliance reports.
The directive by the Lahore High Court chief justice is aimed at ensuring timely justice for accused persons who have remained behind bars for extended periods while their trials are pending, as well as reducing unnecessary delays in judicial proceedings.
The letter issued to the district judiciary emphasized that effective measures should be taken to prioritize cases involving undertrial prisoners detained for more than three years and accelerate the pace of proceedings.
