CJ promises timely dispensation of justice

Says special benches will be set up to hear cases

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah hoisted the national flag at a ceremony held to mark the country’s 69th Independence Day on Sunday.

Addressing the gathering, the CJ said freedom was a blessing from Almighty Allah. He said the nation should be grateful to Quid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah whose efforts had yielded the country’s independence.

“It is unfortunate that we have not done much for this country. We have to make a promise to the nation that we will ensure timely dispensation of justice,” he said. “We have started working to achieve this goal. A physical audit of all cases in the High Court and district courts has been completed,” he said. He said he saluted the district courts staff for their agreement to forgo summer vacations for the purpose.

Shah said the LHC would now also supervise ex-cadre courts by reviewing cases pending hearings in theses courts. He said anti-corruption, anti-terrorism, banking, labour, FIA, consumer and other ex-cadre courts would be established in all divisions of the province. He said special benches would be set up at the LHC to hear cases from Sargodha, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujranwala and Sahiwal divisions.

The CJ said the judiciary could be strengthened by following Jinnah’s credo of unity, faith and discipline. He said culture of adhoc-ism and parchi system would be eradicated and merit would be upheld. “We have made a promise to the nation that we’ll make judiciary the most transparent and exemplary institution in the country,” he said.

He said lawyers were important in a judicial system and urged them to cooperate with judges to help meet public’s expectations from the judiciary.

He said the LHC and district courts were raising funds to extend financial support to families of those who had died or suffered injuries in the Quetta suicide blast.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2016.