Legislation for the protection of women is among the most significant achievements of the Ministry of Law and Justice in the year 2020 according to the spokesperson. The Bills which were drafted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and later became the Acts of Parliament include The Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020 which is a vital piece of legislation to protect women from abuse in cases where usurpation of her property/inheritance is involved. The Act will empower Ombudsman to take action in cases where women are deprived of their legal right to acquire and possess property. The Legal Aid and Justice Authority Act, 2020 will provide financial and legal aid to women and children in criminal cases. One of the major steps towards fighting gender based violence is the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial), Ordinance, 2020 promulgated along with Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 to ensure expeditious redressal of rape and sexual abuse crimes in respect of women and children through special investigation teams and special courts for speedy trial and also to provide the victims with legal assistance where it is required.
Some of the other prominent achievements of the Ministry during the year 2020 were the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Act, 2020; The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2020; The Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Act, 2020; the promulgation of The COVID-19(Prevention of Hoarding) Ordinance, 2020 and the COVID-19(Prevention of Smuggling) Ordinance, 2020. The federal Minister for Law and Justice, Barrister Dr. Muhammad Farogh Naseem and his team, worked at a breakneck pace to draft and vet around 18 Bills and 16 Ordinances during the entire length of the year.
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