THE
(Pb. Act XV of 2007)
C O N T E N T S
Sections
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Establishment of the Academy.
4. Functions of the Academy.
5. Manner of training.
6. Board of Management.
7. Meetings of the Board.
8. Powers and functions of the Board.
9. Director General.
10. Appointment of officers and staff.
11. Fund.
12. Budget and accounts.
13. Audit.
14. Submission of report.
15. Rules.
16. Repeal.
[1]THE
(Act
XV of 2007)
[30 October 2007]
An Act to provide for
the establishment of
Judicial Academy in the
Province of the
Preamble.– Whereas it is expedient to
establish an academy for imparting training to the judicial officers and court personnel
with a view to develop their capacity, professional competency and ethical
standards for efficient dispensation of justice and matters ancillary thereto;
It is hereby enacted as follows:-
1. Short
title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act may be cited as the Punjab
Judicial Academy Act, 2007.
(2) It extends to the whole of the
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Definitions.– In this Act–
(a) “Academy” means the
(b) “Board” means the Board of Management of the
Academy;
(c) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the
Board;
(d) “court personnel” means an employee of the
establishment of the Lahore High Court, a court and a tribunal under the
administrative control of the Lahore High Court;
(e) “Director General” means the Director General
of the Academy;
(f) “faculty” means members of the teaching staff
of the Academy;
(g) “Fund” means the Judicial Training Fund;
(h) “Government” means the Government of the
(i) “judicial officer” means a District Judge, a
Sessions Judge, an Additional District Judge, an Additional Sessions Judge, a
Senior Civil Judge, a Civil Judge, a Judicial Magistrate, a Special Judicial
Magistrate or a presiding officer of a court or a tribunal under the
administrative control of the Lahore High Court;
(j) “member” means a member of the Board;
(k) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under this Act; and
(l) “staff” means staff of the Academy.
3. Establishment
of the Academy.– (1) The Government shall, by
notification, establish an Academy to be called the
(2) The Academy shall be a body corporate having
perpetual succession and a common seal with power to enter into contract and
may sue or be sued by the said name.
(3) The Academy shall be at
4. Functions
of the Academy.– The Academy shall–
(a) impart
pre-service and in-service training to the judicial officers and court
personnel;
(b) develop the skills and techniques for court
management, case management, delay reduction, alternate dispute resolution and
judgment writing;
(c) conduct examinations and award certificates and diplomas;
(d) develop training courses relating to administration of justice including use of information technology;
(e) hold conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops and symposia relating to court management, administration of justice, law and development and legislative drafting;
(f) publish books, journals, research papers and reports on important topics relating to administration of justice;
(g) promote
research on case management, court management, trial skills and judicial
reasoning;
(h) encourage
legal and constitutional research;
(i) inculcate
and promote ethical values and standards in judicial officers and court
personnel;
(j) coordinate
with other educational and training institutions including the
(k) conduct
training and examinations of other officers and personnel on the direction of
the Board; and
(l) perform
such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Board.
5. Manner
of training.– (1) The Academy shall
use all modern techniques for imparting judicial training. Teaching methods and
evaluation system shall be at par with international standards.
(2) The
Academy may enter into arrangements with other recognized public and private
institutions for imparting training.
(3) The Academy shall institute a quality
examination and evaluation system with regard to the training imparted
6. Board of Management.– (1) The management and administration of the
Academy shall vest in the Board.
(2) The
Board shall consist of–
(a) Chief Justice,
(b) two judges of the Lahore High members
Court
nominated by the Chairperson;
(c) Chairman, Planning & Development Board member
of the
Government;
(d) Registrar, Lahore High Court; member
(e) Additional Chief Secretary of the Government member
(f) Secretary to the Government,
Finance
Department member
(g) Secretary to the Government,
Law
Parliamentary Affairs and Human member
Rights
Department;
(h) Principal,
University
of the Punjab,
(i) a District & Sessions Judge member
nominated
by the Chairperson; and
(j) Director General member/
Secretary
(3) The
existence of a vacancy in the constitution of the Board shall not invalidate an
act or proceedings of the Board.
7. Meetings
of the Board.– (1) The Board shall meet at least thrice in a calendar year.
(2) The Director General
shall convene a meeting of the Board on the direction of Chairperson or written
request of three or more members.
(3) In the meeting of the Board,–
(a) the
Chairperson, or in his absence, a member nominated by the Chairperson shall
preside;
(b) five
members shall constitute the quorum;
(c) all decisions of the Board shall be taken by
simple majority;
(d) the
Chairperson or a member presiding shall have a casting vote; and
(e) the Director General shall record the minutes
of the meeting.
8. Powers
and functions of the Board.– (1)
The Board shall–
(a) exercise supervision and control over the
affairs of the Academy;
(b) lay down the policy and program for training
and approve courses of the Academy;
(c) evaluate or cause to be evaluated the
performance of the Academy;
(d) approve the annual budget and revised budget
estimates of the Academy;
(e) cause proper books of accounts to be
maintained for all sums of money received and expenditures incurred by the
Academy and arrange for the audit of accounts;
(f) determine the terms and conditions of service
of the Director General and staff of the Academy;
(g) create, abolish or upgrade a post;
(h) appoint an officer in BS-16 or above; and
(i) prescribe qualifications, conditions of
service and other matters relating to faculty, officers and staff.
(2) The
Board may–
(a) purchase, acquire, hire, dispose of or
construct any property for the Academy;
(b) hold, control and administer the property of
the Academy;
(c) receive grants-in-aid and donations from the
Federal Government, the Government or any other organization, person or agency;
(d) regulate,
determine and administer all matters concerning the Academy;
(e) appoint advisors, consultants and experts for
assistance;
(f) appoint or hire permanent or visiting
faculty;
(g) assign a specific power to a person or
organization; and
(h) exercise any other power ancillary to the aims
and objects of the Academy.
(3) The Board may delegate all or any of its
powers or functions to the Chairperson, a member or a committee of members.
9. Director General.– (1) The Chairperson shall appoint the Director General of the Academy for a term of four years on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) The Director General may
resign by tendering his resignation to the Chairperson and shall cease to hold
office upon acceptance of his resignation.
(3) The Chairperson on the recommendation of the
Board may, after providing an opportunity of being heard, remove the Director
General during the term of his office.
(4) The Director General shall be a person who has
been a Judge of the Lahore High Court or a District Judge of the
(5) The Director General shall be the chief
executive officer of the Academy and shall be responsible for the affairs of
the Academy before the Board.
(6) The Director General shall be the principal
accounting officer of the Academy.
(7) The
Director General may, with the approval of the Chairperson, appoint staff in
BS-1 to 15.
(8) The Director General shall, within two months
of conclusion of each financial year, submit annual report to the Board
containing performance and proposals for the improvement in the performance of
the Academy.
10. Appointment of officers and
staff.– (1) The Board or the Director General may appoint officers and
staff of the Academy in accordance with the provisions of this Act by direct
recruitment, deputation, promotion or on contract basis.
(2) The Board shall determine the manner and the
terms and conditions of appointment of officers and staff of the Academy.
(3) The Board shall prescribe qualification and
experience of the teaching staff of the Academy taking into account, the
qualification and experience prescribed for such staff in the world renowned
Judicial Academies.
11. Fund.– (1) There shall be a fund of the Academy to be
known as the Judicial Training Fund.
(2) The Director General
shall ensure the deposit of the income of the Academy in the Fund and incurring
of the expenditures of the Academy from the Fund.
(3) The sources of
income of the Fund shall be–
(a) grants made by the Federal Government or the Government;
(b) donations,
endowments and grants from any individual, organization or agency, whether
national or international;
(c) sale
proceeds of the property and publications of the Academy; and
(d) any other sum received by the Academy from any lawful source.
(2) The Fund shall be kept in such custody,
utilized and regulated in the prescribed manner.
12. Budget
and accounts.– (1) The Director General shall utilize the Budget and
maintain the accounts of the Academy in the prescribed manner.
(2) The Director General shall prepare the Budget
of the Academy for each financial year.
(3) The Director General shall not incur any
expenditure from the Fund without the approval of the Board.
13. Audit.–
(1) The Board shall appoint a chartered accountant or a firm of chartered
accountants to audit the accounts of the Academy.
(2) The Director General, with the approval of the
Board, within six months of the close of the financial year, shall submit to
the Government the annual statement of accounts of the Academy alongwith the
report of the auditor.
14. Submission
of report.– (1) The Director General shall, with the approval of the Board,
within the period of six months, submit annual audit and performance reports to
the Government which shall include the following:-
(a) details of courses run and designed by the
Academy;
(b) details of examinations carried out by the
Academy;
(c) research work done by the Academy;
(d) the quality of training imparted at the
Academy; and
(e) the standard of the students trained at the
Academy.
(2) The Government shall, within two months of the
receipt of the reports, submit the same before the Provincial Assembly of the
15. Rules.– The Board may, with the approval of the Government, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
16. Repeal.– The Punjab Judicial Academy Ordinance 2007 (XV of 2007) is hereby repealed.
[1]This Act was
passed by the Punjab Assembly on 5 October 2007; assented to by the Governor of
the