The Punjab Judicial Academy was established under The Punjab Judicial Academy Act, 2007 (Pb. Act XV of 2007) vide notification No.Legis 13-7/2005 dated 18-05-2007, for imparting pre-service and in service training to the judicial officers and court personnel with a view to developing their capacity, professional competency and ethical standards for efficient and even handed dispensation of justice. The functions of the Academy have been fully elaborated in Section-4 of the Act which states:
- Impart pre-service and in-service training to the judicial officers and court personnel
- Develop the skills and techniques for court management, case management, delay reduction, alternate dispute resolution and judgment writing
- Conduct examinations and award certificates and diplomas
- Develop training courses relating to administration of justice including use of information technology
- Hold conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops and symposia relating to court management, administration of justice, law and development and legislative drafting
- Publish books, journals, research papers and reports on important topics relating to administration of justice
- Promote research on case management, court management, trial skills and judicial reasoning
- Encourage legal and constitutional research
- Inculcate and promote ethical values and standards in judicial officers and court personnel
- Coordinate with other educational and training institutions including the Federal Judicial Academy
- Conduct training and examinations of other officers and personnel on the direction of the Board
- Perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Board
The needs of the time have necessitated promulgation, amendments of various new laws, legal concepts, new theories, the expertise of which is scarce in the Bench and the Bar. The Academy undertake to impart such knowledge and training to all the stake-holders of the judicial system through experts, scholars, members of the superior judiciary, renowned lawyers, medical experts, senior police officers, reputed scholars and professors.
The Academy is committed to conduct a wide range of Research and Development Program on the improvement and implementation of laws, with collaboration of foreign institutions and their renowned experts in the fields of inter alia, electronic/cyber crimes, money laundering, environmental laws, intellectual property laws, consumer protection law, gender sensitization and human rights etc.