Recent unruly behaviour of lawyers not only detrimental to judicial system but also affects ordinary Pakistanis.
ISLAMABAD: The legal fraternity is among the oldest followers of democratic norms. Bar associations regularly hold internal elections at the tehsil, district, provincial and federal levels in Pakistan. Their duty is to maintain good working relations between the litigating public, lawyers and the courts. The lawyers provide legal services to their clients and advise them accordingly on matters related to disputes, litigation and the courts in general. The bars help resolve disputes, if any, between a lawyer and his client and also provide assistance to the courts in legal and constitutional matters.
However, after 2007, when the deposed judges of the Supreme Court were restored after a sustained agitation led by lawyers, duly supported by civil society and a vibrant media, the situation changed. The lawyers became more emotionally aggressive and less argumentative. During the past few years, they seem to have turned the courts into a battlefield. They have frequently quarrelled with subordinate judges and several cases have arisen of them locking lower court judges in the courtroom or that they have launched protests to get a particular judge transferred. To make matters worse, instead of taking action against such lawyers, in most cases, the demands of the lawyers have been accepted. Just earlier this week, lawyers in Rawalpindi locked an additional district and sessions judge in his courtroom and this was done because he had failed to give a stay order to one of the protesting lawyers.
The honourable chief justice of Pakistan has constantly — and rightly so — impressed upon the lawyers that the bar and the bench are two pillars of the judiciary and that they need to have a cordial relationship. He also advised lawyers to come fully prepared to represent their case in the courts so that proceedings could go on in a smooth fashion.
The recent unruly behaviour of lawyers is not only detrimental to the entire judicial system but also affects hundreds of thousands of ordinary Pakistanis whose cases are delayed when lawyers are busy in strikes and protests. One can only hope that the latter pay close heed to the advice of the honourable chief justice of Pakistan.
Raja Shafaatullah
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2013.
