Daily Times

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has stated that court judgments should not be a source of resentment and strife.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday, the CJP said the country’s courts are and will remain autonomous and will make decisions freely.

Justice Ahmed remarked that a lawyer is considered the custodian of the law and must know the proper decorum for when they appear in court. He said that it appears lawyers have “stopped studying”. The CJP said it’s the lawyer’s job to assist the judge and the lawyer must know how to conduct himself with the judge, the petitioner, and other lawyers. He said that attorneys and judges cannot and should not be rivals. Lawyers have done the real work of protecting the legal environment.

He said that courts make choices based on facts. “We will encourage criticism of court rulings,” he added. The country’s top judge was addressing a seminar ‘Role of Judiciary & Legal Fraternity in the Improvement of Justice System’ organized by the Punjab Bar Council at its office in Lahore.

The CJ disagreed with the claim of Advocate General Punjab Ahmed Awais who, during his speech, claimed that he did not see the people’s fundamental rights being protected in our society. Justice Gulzar said he did not agree with the opinion, but adding that if the time came to that then the judiciary will fight against the situation.

Furthermore, the CJP urged lawyers to put a stop to the ‘culture of adjournment’. [Adjournments] make sense if there is an extreme cause, otherwise there should be no need to request for an adjournment,” he added.

“There is no doubt that the number of pending cases has increased,” Justice Gulzar said, adding that there were several reasons behind it, Covid-19 being one of them; and some others which could not be discussed on this occasion.

The litigants suffer a lot if cases will continue to remain pending and adjournments given, the CJP said. Justice Gulzar expressed displeasure at the condition of district courts province-wide, and directed Chief Justice Lahore High Court Muhammad Ameer Bhatti to seek a report from his inspection judge on it.

Speaking on the matter of judge’s appointment, the CJP observed that the judicial commission was independent and the instances when judges gave dictation to it over appointments have gone. “Everything is being done through due process,” he added.