The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it had set a new benchmark in the delivery of digital justice, reaffirming its commitment to a people-friendly, transparent, and technology-driven judicial system.

In an official statement, the court said case hearings were successfully conducted across the country using modern technology, enabling seamless judicial proceedings even in challenging circumstances.

A bench in Islamabad conducted proceedings while lawyers appeared online from Quetta, Karachi, and Hyderabad. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi participated from Islamabad, while Justice Ayesha Malik joined the bench remotely from Lahore.

The court noted that proceedings continued without interruption, including during emergency situations. The full cause list was heard by the Islamabad bench, with litigants and counsel joining virtually from multiple cities.

Traditional paper-based records have largely been replaced with complete digital case files, significantly reducing the need to requisition documents from branch registries.

The Supreme Court said several key reforms have been operationalised, including case barcoding, e-filing, and e-office systems. Electronic transmission of judicial orders has enabled immediate delivery of decisions.

It added that video-link hearings have helped bridge geographical distances, lower litigation costs, and expand access to justice.

Separately, the court said it had introduced new standard operating procedures (SOPs) on Tuesday to ensure uninterrupted judicial work during unexpectedly announced public holidays.

Issued by CJ Afridi, the SOPs aim to strengthen the efficiency and continuity of court operations. Under the new framework, urgent civil and criminal matters will be prioritised, including family cases, bail applications, criminal revisions, cases involving prisoners above the age of 80, restoration petitions, settlement matters, and cases involving short legal questions.

The statement added that measures have also been introduced to address the backlog of cases, with at least 40% of cases in each final cause list to consist of the oldest pending matters up to 2018.

Special facilitation has been provided for lawyers from Sindh and Balochistan, with their cases scheduled later in the week to accommodate travel and logistical constraints.

The court further said it plans to introduce an automated case fixation system to enhance transparency and objectivity while minimising discretionary delays through algorithm-based prioritisation.

The system will include weekly and proposed monthly cause lists, aimed at improving predictability and overall case flow management.