Legal reforms package will hardly overhaul the criminal justice system: Manzoor Tarar Advocate

Mandi Bahauddin (Sher Gondal) : Senior Advocate Manzoor Tarar has said legal reforms package prepared by the prime minister’s legal team will hardly succeed in overhauling country’s criminal justice system.

He was discussing with other lawyers pros and cons of the proposed reforms package for improvement of existing criminal justice system. He said the reforms package recommends registration of FIR after carrying out probe, as replacement of old system under which Police register FIR on receipt of commission of cognizable offence information.

He said existing system suits the poor as police under the law is bound to register FIR on receipt of information regarding commission of offence. Even under this system police do not accommodate the poor when they report the offence unless some influential accompany the complainant. When new system is introduced police will use their discretion to include or exclude the accused in FIR and complainant or the victim would be ignored relief.

The complainant party would be harassed and pressurized. He said first thing to be done should be to overhaul and reform police by making them honest and transparent while registering and investigating criminal cases. The police should be independent and should not submit to political pressure.

Regarding other suggested schemes relating to civil matters including succession certificates he said it would be good if responsibility of issuing succession certificate is given to NADRA. It will save time and cost of the litigants. About other reforms in civil matters, he said scheme of abolition of civil courts and upgrading them to District and Sessions Judge Courts is confusing and needs more elaboration.