KPJA Concludes Landmark Training of Trainers (ToT) Program on Criminal Justice Reforms Mandated by Peshawar High Court (11-16 May, 2026)

PESHAWAR (May 16, 2026): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy (KPJA) successfully concluded its intensive one-week Training of Trainers (ToT) program today, marking a critical step in the implementation of systemic criminal justice reforms. The program, which continued from May 11 to May 16, 2026, was conducted in direct compliance with the landmark judgment of the Peshawar High Court in Asif Ullah v. Govt. of KP (WP No. 5504-P/2025).

The training was designed as a strategic response to reform systemic deficiencies identified by the Hon’ble High Court, including improper crime scene management, defective FIR practices, and weak coordination between investigators and prosecutors. The program brought together 27 selected Judicial Officers, District & Sessions Judges / Zilla Qazis, Additional District & Sessions Judges / Izafi Zilla Qazis and Senior Civil Judges / Aala Ilaqa Qazis who were passed out as Master Trainers. These officers are now tasked with leading a province-wide multiplier strategy, conducting district-level training for Investigation Officers (IOs), Prosecutors, and Medical Officers.

The week-long curriculum combined substantive law with advanced technical modules, Foundations and FIR Reforms, Scientific and Digital Integration, Legal Rigor and Oversight, Pedagogical Excellence: 

A hallmark of the program was a full-day practical workshop, on Day-5. Participants were divided into five specialized groups to deliberate on core thematic areas. These includes the following:

• Focused on the Basics of Investigation and the role of prosecutors in Challan scrutiny. 
• Addressed FIR malpractices and the critical evaluation of Medical Evidence.
• Deliberated on Chain of Custody and Malkhana management.
• Concentrated on advanced Crime Scene Management and Cybercrime evidence. Group leaders presented their strategies, which were moderated by Academy faculty to ensure alignment with judicial mandates.

Graced by Hon’ble Chief Justice, Mr. Justice S. M. Attique Shah, the program reached its successful conclusion with a high-profile ceremony. Addressing the passed out Master Trainers, the Hon’ble Chief Justice underscored that these reforms are essential for restoring public confidence in the justice system and ensuring the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial. Mr. Jehanzeb Shinwari, DG KPJA also expressed his views in the concluding remarks.

The event concluded with the conferment of certificates and a commitment to institutionalizing these standardized training practices across all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure the sustainability of these essential reforms.