Lawyers faced sharp criticism from the Federal Constitutional Court during hearings of various cases over repeated requests for adjournments, with the bench observing that unnecessary delays were prolonging litigation.
During the proceedings, the court also strongly reprimanded former Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Salman Mansoor, remarking that cases were being delayed without justification.
At the hearing, Salman Mansoor submitted that he wanted to place an inquiry report on record along with the appeal and sought time from the court for the purpose.
The bench questioned why the inquiry report had not been attached with the appeal at the time of filing.
Justice Aamir Farooq remarked that in other countries such conduct could have resulted in a heavy fine. He further observed that adjournment requests were routinely made inside the courtroom, while outside the court an impression was created that judges were not working.
The court observed that attaching all relevant documents with an appeal was a basic legal requirement, which had not been fulfilled in the case.
Justice Aamir Farooq remarked that lawyers themselves were responsible for 90 percent of case adjournments.
During the hearing, the court further observed that judges spent late hours at night reading case files, but in the morning, adjournment requests were filed when the matter came up before the bench.
Salman Mansoor appeared before the court in a case relating to dismissal from service over allegations of illegal recruitment.