In compliance with a decision of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC), the Group Development Pakistan (GDP) has provided technical and financial assistance for establishing 9 child courts as 1 in each Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Balochistan, 4 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2 in Sindh.
The effort resulted in a total of 1,921 children (1,490 boys; 431 girls) benefitted those who were in conflict or contact with the law have accessed justice services through the pilot child courts.
The GDP, a local civil society organization, working on protecting and promoting child rights and strengthening child protection and justice with children across the country in joint collaboration with other state and non-state organizations. It transformed the physical spaces to make a child-friendly and conducive environment for the children visiting the courts.
The organization claimed in a statement that two child courts were inaugurated each one in Karachi District Malir at the District Courts Malir and District-East by Chief Justice of Sindh High Court (SHC), Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh Director General of Sindh Judicial respectively.
The statement said that the efforts to establish child courts in the province aimed at providing expeditious, child-sensitive and fair justice to children in contact or in conflict with the law as envisaged in the Juvenile Justice System Act (JJSA) 2018, other relevant child protection laws and the Constitution of Pakistan.
The GDP further stated that the child court has been established, keeping in view that children do not come face to face with the offenders during a trial since that can put them under tremendous pressure.
“Rooms adjoining the courts have been designed to create a comfortable and child-conducive environment as the walls are colorfully painted and decorated with handmade drawings by children,” it said adding that the courts have been equipped with toys and books to create a relaxing environment that contributes to helping the children in dealing with mental pressure and trauma.
Moreover, the capacity of the judicial officers has also been enhanced on child rights and child justice by GDP in collaboration with Sindh Judicial Academy (SJA). The training of the judicial actors has resulted in improved enforcement of the child protection laws and in historical jurisprudence. To date, 632 justice actors have been trained on child rights, child justice and child protection via strong support from judicial academies.
The SJA has published a handbook on child courts in collaboration with GD has also helped in designing the training for judicial officers and has ensured data collection, analysis and technical mentoring of justice actors. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said, “Its historical day as the inauguration of this pilot child court in the East City Court marks a key milestone in the recent judiciary’s efforts to promote Child Justice in our beloved country. We will do more and better.” GDP has been collaborating with justice actors, with financial support from the British High Commission, to increase public trust in state institutions that contribute to preventing and responding to Violence Against Children through the improved rule of law. Valerie Khan, GDP Executive Director stated “these collective efforts between the government, civil society, and judiciary have paved the way for a transformative shift in the dispensation of child and gender justice in Pakistan, which has been acknowledged by the UN special reporter.”
