Judicial Reform through Law: Evaluating the Role of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (1979–2024)

Abstract

Pakistan’s judicial system continues to face deeply rooted challenges such as chronic delays, outdated legal statutes, and limited access to justice for disadvantaged communities. In response to these concerns, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), established under the 1979 Ordinance, was conceived as a key institutional platform to promote legal reform and procedural modernization. This paper investigates the LJCP’s role in enhancing the judiciary by reviewing 138 of its published reports from 1981 to 2024. Using a doctrinal and qualitative content analysis approach, the study categorizes the Commission’s efforts into four thematic areas: (1) reforms in civil and criminal law, (2) judicial administration and case management, (3) access to justice initiatives, and (4) law revision and repeal the study assesses the practical impact of these efforts, identifying notable achievements such as reforms to bail laws and improvements in judicial education. However, it also highlights significant limitations, particularly the Commission’s advisory status and its lack of implementation authority. By drawing comparative insights from the Law Commissions of India and the United Kingdom, the paper situates LJCP’s performance within a broader international context The findings suggest that although the LJCP has laid important groundwork for reform, its influence has been hindered by bureaucratic inertia, limited executive engagement, and the absence of effective monitoring systems. To unlock its full potential, the paper recommends strengthening LJCP’s institutional autonomy, establishing implementation and follow-up mechanisms, and integrating its recommendations into parliamentary review processes. Ultimately, it argues that meaningful judicial reform in Pakistan must be grounded in legal authority, sustained funding, and genuine political commitment