Justice delayed, justice denied: Structural and institutional failures in Pakistan's criminal justice system

Abstract

Several issues within the Pakistani criminal justice decrease the productivity of its outcomes and their equity. Litigation backlog and high numbers of pending cases have often led to continuance of litigation, which deprives the litigants of seeking quick justice. An issue of corruption in the law system, as well as the justice system, also further complicates the problem because people think that the system is unfair. Part of the problem is that insufficient funds and outdated systems greatly slow investigations and court cases. Meanwhile, more crime convictions and justice can't be achieved without basic witness protection and up-to-date forensic resources. Because the system is said to be biased, inefficient, and not transparent enough, many people still lack confidence in it. Justice will not be achieved in the criminal justice system unless large-scale changes are made. As a result, there will be endless inefficiency and lack of trust, hurting every citizen.