Islamabad, (TW News) – In a landmark step to advance judicial education in Pakistan, the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union (EU) under the Deliver Justice Project, convened the country’s first-ever National Judicial Educators Conference in Islamabad.

The two-day conference brought together 37 judicial educators from across the country, creating Pakistan’s first dedicated platform that aims to promote excellence in judicial education at both national and provincial levels.

In the opening ceremony, the Honorable Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, emphasized the significance of this platform, “This National Judicial Educators Conference provides an important platform to strengthen coordination among the academies, share experiences, and devise a collective vision for the future of judicial training in Pakistan. I expect consensus from the learned participants to develop a plan for stronger, more effective, and more coordinated judicial academies across our country. Balochistan will be the first province to implement the same.”

Over two days of in-depth discussions, participants exchanged ideas, shared challenges, and explored innovative approaches to make judicial education more responsive to the country’s justice system and needs. The deliberations culminated in the adoption of a joint action plan to modernize training practices and strengthen institutions that deliver justice.

Speaking on the occasion, the Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy, Mr. Hayat Ali Shah, underscored the importance of judicial education, “Judicial education is not a leisure; it is a necessity. Supervision may secure compliance, but education inspires conviction. If we truly wish to transform perception into respect, and compliance into conscience, we must redefine, restructure, and recommit ourselves to the true spirit of judicial education — embracing its full scope, despite its limitations.”

Mr. Kaiser Ishaque, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, highlighted the broader vision of the partnership. “At UNDP, we believe capacity building is as much about strengthening institutions as it is about empowering individuals. When institutions grow more resilient, their impact becomes more sustainable, and justice reaches the people who need it most.” He thanked the FJA, provincial judicial academies, high courts, and the EU for their partnership and funding to UNDP in advancing the rule of law through the Deliver Justice Project.

The conference was concluded by Honorable Mr. Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Advisor to the Board of Governors, FJA of the Federal Judicial Academy. His Lordship highlighted, “Judicial education must evolve in tandem with the demands of justice. As educators and judges, we bear the responsibility to ensure that learning within our institutions translates into fairness, empathy, and excellence in our courts. This Conference marks not just a gathering of educators, but a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to justice that is informed, independent, and inclusive.” He also commended the collaborative efforts of FJA, provincial judicial academies, and development partners – UNDP and the EU – in elevating the standards of judicial learning nationwide.

The two-day conference ended with a Declaration on Judicial Education, a collective pledge by all judicial academies to work together, exchange knowledge, and build stronger, more inclusive justice institutions in Pakistan.