Pakistan Rule of Law Assessment – Final Report
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PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT – FINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2008 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Dr. Richard Blue and Richard Hoffman, Esq., Management Systems International, and Mr. Louis-Alexandre Berg, USAID. PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT – FINAL REPORT A subsidiary of Coffey International Limited Management Systems International Corporate Offices 600 Water Street, SW Washington, DC 20024 Contracted under RAN-M-00-04-00049-A-FY05-066 Rule of Law Assessment for USAID/Pakistan DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS .................................................................................................ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................................. vi PART I. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT..................................................................... 1 A. Early Constitutional and Political Development (1947-1973)....................................... 1 B. The 1973 Constitution.................................................................................................... 1 C. The Zia Era and its Constitutional Legacy..................................................................... 2 D. The 1990’s and Disenchantment with Politics............................................................... 2 E. The Musharraf Coup and yet another ‘Transition to Democracy’ ................................. 3 F. Judicial Activism and the Current Judicial Crisis........................................................... 3 G. ‘Islamization’ of Laws in Pakistan................................................................................. 6 PART II. SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS ON THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND RULE OF LAW ............................................................................................................................. 7 A. Sources of Legitimacy: Islamic Law, Traditional Practices and the Legitimacy of the Common Law Justice System......................................................... 7 B. Judicial Independence and Accountability................................................................... 11 C. Case Delay and Access to Justice ................................................................................ 16 D. Order and Security: Police Responsiveness and Criminal Justice ............................... 25 E. The Legal Profession: Standards and Qualifications.................................................... 27 F. Commercial Law .......................................................................................................... 29 PART III. OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFORM LEADERSHIP............................................. 30 PART IV. REVIEW OF JUDICIAL REFORM EFFORTS.................................................... 32 PART V. STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................... 39 A. Determinants of a USAID Strategy: Entry Points and Guiding Principles................. 39 B. Strategic Approach: Goal, Sequencing and Supporting Objectives…………………..41 ANNEX 1 SCOPE OF WORK .................................................................................................. 54 ANNEX 2. PERSONS INTERVIEWED LIST – ANNEX ...................................................... 55 ANNEX 3. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................... 58 ANNEX 4. THE EVOLUTION OF BUREAUCRACY IN PAKISTAN................................ 60 PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT i GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank ADR alternative dispute resolution AJDF Access to Justice Discretionary Fund AJP Access to Justice Project CIDA Canadian International Development Authority CJP Chief Justice of Pakistan CoAS Chief of Army Staff DFID Department For International Development (UK) DOF Department of Finance FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas INL International Narcotics L&JC Law and Justice Commission LHC Lahore High Court LUMS Lahore University of Management Science MIT Member Inspection Team MMA Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (religious party) MOL Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs MSI Management Sciences, Inc. MTBF medium-term budgetary framework NJPMC National Judicial Policy Making Committee NRO National Reconciliation Ordinance NWFP North-West Frontier Province P&D Planning and Development Department PCO Provisional Constitutional Order PHAA President to Hold Another Office Act PML-N Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (party) PML-Q Pakistan Muslim League-Quasi (party) PMU Program Management Unit PPP Pakistan People’s Party (party) SC Supreme Court SDC Swiss Development Corporation SJC Supreme Judicial Council SME Small to Medium Enterprises TAF The Asia Foundation Qazi an Islamic scholar serving as a judge Izzat prestige, honor Suo moto legal proceeding in Pakistan by which Chief Justice of Supreme Court may initiate actions in that court Pendency length of time a case has been awaiting disposition since its initiation PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT ii PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Pakistan Rule of Law Assessment was requested by USAID Pakistan and completed under a contract with Management Systems International (MSI) April through June 2008. Principal researchers were Dr. Richard Blue, Richard Hoffman, Esq. and Louis-Alexandre Berg, assisted by Clifford Wardlaw, Esq., Resident Legal Advisor, US Embassy Islamabad, Mr. Syed Ali Murtaza, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Professor Moeen Cheema, Lahore University of Management Sciences Law Faculty (LUMS). Messrs Blue and Hoffman are independent consultants. Mr. Berg is an employee of USAID Washington. Following preparatory meetings and document review in April, field research was conducted in Pakistan from May 3 to May 22, and a report draft submitted to USAID Pakistan on June 5, 2008. In addition to a review of primary and secondary documentation and journal articles, the team relied heavily on in depth interviews with Pakistani and foreign experts for data, insights, and opinions about Pakistan’s efforts to develop a working Rule of Law. The report is organized under six major headings. These are: 1) Political Context and Development of Constitutional Framework; 2) Major Findings regarding Legitimacy, Judicial Independence, Case Delay, Management and Administrative Systems, Special Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Order and Security, and Legal Profession and Standards; 3) Key Actor Analysis; 4) Review of Asian Development Bank’s Access to Justice Program; 5) Donor Assistance Programs; and 6) Strategy, Opportunities and Recommendations. The main findings can be easily summarized and are well known to Pakistani legal experts and practitioners. Pakistan’s Rule of Law development has suffered from 38 years of military rule with only short lived and intermittent experience with democratic governance. Since much of the law derives from the British colonial system, it is seen by many as lacking legitimacy. There is also tension between the inherited common law system and the Islamic law based on the Quran, especially in outlying provinces and regions. Questions about legitimacy are compounded by the low level of efficiency, the prevalence of delays, the inferior quality of legal training, corruption, and the perception that the court system is a tool for the delay of justice, manipulated by rich and/or powerful interests in the society. In spite of 13 different reform commissions devoted to improving the justice system and the assistance of the Asian Development Bank during the past six years, the team found that while some progress had been made, for the most part the judicial system did not function well, further undermining any faith in the Rule of Law. The inability of this weak and overburdened system to effectively address a rising level of crime and violence has fueled support for alternatives to the justice system ranging from strict versions of Islamic law to individuals taking the law into their own hands. The weak justice system and lack of public confidence thus contribute to the cycle of rising violence and extremism. The Strategy and Recommendations section discusses factors that may influence the choice of potential strategies, such as the newly elected government’s level of commitment to judicial reform, USAID’s funding level, whether the ADB will continue to invest heavily in judicial reform, and the absorptive capacity of Judicial Administration and Civil Society for effective use of funds. Assuming Pakistan government commitment, the report recommends USAID and the USG explore developing activities in five areas, three of which are within the domain of the USAID Democracy and Governance/Rule of Law (DG/ROL) office. A cross cutting recommendation is to focus at the provincial level, while providing coordinating support to the Federal level. The three DG/ROL areas are: 1) Building Judicial Capacity, 2) Enhancing Legal Education, 3) Improving Citizen Legal Awareness and Access to Services. The report also makes recommendations for 1) Better Law Enforcement and 2) Improving Land Titling and Registration. PAKISTAN RULE OF LAW ASSESSMENT iv Of the first three