LHC creates Central Secretariat to overhaul recruitment and exams

According to Notification No. 316/HR-I dated September 9, 2026, issued by Director General (Establishment) Rafaqat Ali Qamar on behalf of the Registrar, the new secretariat has been established

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has established a Central Examination Secretariat to centralise and streamline initial recruitment and departmental examinations across the judicial system, marking a major administrative overhaul of the existing examination mechanism.

According to Notification No. 316/HR-I dated September 9, 2026, issued by Director General (Establishment) Rafaqat Ali Qamar on behalf of the Registrar, the new secretariat has been established with immediate effect following approval by the Chief Justice and the Hon’ble Administration Committee.

The new arrangement brings examination-related functions under a dedicated structure instead of handling them through separate and dispersed arrangements. Officials familiar with the development described it as a significant step towards establishing a more organised and uniform examination system within the Punjab judiciary.

The Central Examination Secretariat will be headed by a Secretary (Examinations), who will be an officer of the rank of District and Sessions Judge, Additional District and Sessions Judge or an equivalent officer. The secretary will be assisted by two Deputy Registrars and four Assistant Registrars responsible for separate examination branches.

Under the new structure, the Examination-I Branch will oversee the initial recruitment of judicial officers as well as their departmental examinations prescribed by the competent authority.

The Examination-II Branch will be responsible for the initial recruitment and departmental examinations of officers and officials serving in the Lahore High Court establishment.

The Examination-III Branch will handle initial recruitment and departmental examinations for officers and officials of the lower courts in BS-11 and above, while the Examination-IV Branch will deal with recruitment and, where applicable, departmental examinations of lower-court officials in BS-01 to BS-10.

The restructuring is aimed at bringing greater consistency, transparency and merit into recruitment and examination procedures throughout the Punjab judicial system. It is also expected to improve administrative coordination and help reduce delays in conducting departmental examinations.

The notification has been circulated to the Director General District Judiciary, Director General Judicial and Case Management, Director General Human Resource (District Judiciary) and the Secretary to the Chief Justice for information and necessary action.

The establishment of the Central Examination Secretariat is being viewed as an important institutional reform intended to strengthen the recruitment process and ensure that appointments and promotions within the judicial establishment are based on a more organised and uniform assessment mechanism.