LHC chief justice praised by bar leaders for disposal of murder references

Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Ms Aalia Neelum has received appreciation from bar leaders across Punjab over the disposal

LAHORE:  Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Ms Aalia Neelum has received appreciation from bar leaders across Punjab over the disposal of a large number of murder and capital punishment references during her tenure, according to sources and statements attributed to representatives of the legal community.

According to the sources, a total of 945 murder and capital sentence references were decided between July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, a development that has been welcomed by several bar representatives.

The reported performance has particularly drawn attention because murder references have historically remained pending for extended periods, sometimes for several years.

Bar leaders praise judicial performance

The President of the Supreme Court Bar Association reportedly described the disposal of 945 references in 15 months as an exceptional achievement, saying that the backlog had been reduced and that the process of deciding cases on merit had improved.

Meanwhile, the President of the Lahore High Court Bar Association said that murder references had previously remained pending for 15 to 20 years in some cases. According to him, modern case-management practices and regular monitoring had contributed to faster disposal.

Sources said that 897 murder references were decided at the principal seat in Lahore as well as the Multan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi benches during the period under review.

Representatives of the Multan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi High Court Bar Associations also reportedly appreciated the performance of the respective benches. They particularly highlighted the disposal of 48 capital sentence references involving cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act, anti-narcotics laws and the Anti-Rape Act.

Reported increase in disposal rate

According to figures cited by sources, the average disposal rate for murder references before the reported reforms stood at around 15 to 20 cases per month per bench, while the backlog had exceeded 2,500 references in 2024.

The sources claim that the disposal rate subsequently increased to more than 63 references per month, resulting in 945 references being decided over 15 months.

They described the increase as a significant improvement in judicial case management.

Another example cited by the sources was the decision of a murder reference dating back to 2006, which was reportedly decided in August 2026 after remaining pending for nearly two decades.

Sources also claimed that closer scrutiny of investigation and prosecution shortcomings by LHC benches had encouraged improvements in challans and case preparation. According to prosecution sources cited in the report, the conviction ratio in heinous cases increased from approximately 22 per cent to 34 per cent.

Focus on vulnerable litigants

Several legal and civil society representatives also praised what they described as greater attention to vulnerable sections of society.

According to stakeholders cited by the sources, women, children, minorities, senior citizens and overseas Pakistanis have benefited from the reported emphasis on speedy hearings.

A senior office-bearer of the LHCBA claimed that the Chief Justice personally monitored daily cause lists and sought to discourage unnecessary adjournments. The office-bearer also said priority was given to women lawyers, minority litigants and senior citizens.

Representatives of civil society and minority groups reportedly welcomed the approach, while a senior citizens’ rights group said that cases involving elderly litigants had received priority.

The sources further claimed that complaints from overseas Pakistanis regarding delays had declined by around 40 per cent over the past 15 months.

The approach has been described by some bar representatives as the “Aalia Neelum Model,” centred on modern case management, internal accountability, merit-based decisions, anti-corruption measures and greater attention to human rights.

A district bar president summed up the sentiment by saying that Justice Aalia Neelum had achieved in a relatively short period what had remained difficult for years, describing the approach as one that had given justice a more human face.