Law Adviser Asif Nazrul on Saturday said the government is working to ensure swift and cost-effective disposal of cases, uphold human rights and free people from the 'curse of the burden of cases'.
"The overwhelming number of pending cases not only strains the judicial system but also questions the probability of the prospect of justice. Reducing the pressure of new cases has become a necessity," he said at a consultation on the draft “Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Ordinance 2025” held at the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO) on Bailey Road in the capital.
Asif Nazrul emphasised the importance of strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to reduce the pressure on courts. "Introducing mandatory pre-litigation mediation is essential to tackle the case backlog," he said.
He further stated that the Ministry of Law has identified three core objectives for judicial reform, ensuring timely and low-cost case resolution, securing justice for all and relieving citizens from the curse of prolonged litigation.
Nazrul, also the chairman of NLASO, said, "At present, of the nearly 5,00,000 new cases filed annually across the country, only around 35,000 are settled through the government’s legal aid services. Legal aid offices can resolve disputes with over 90 per cent satisfaction among parties involved and in just one-tenth of the time required by the courts."
He added that expanding and institutionalising the legal aid programme could increase the number of cases resolved through mediation to between 100,000 and 200,000 annually, which would reduce case filings by up to 40 per cent.
MSH
