SHC judge extensions : Lawyers to move SC

SHBCA says parliamentary committee’s decision was condemnable.

KARACHI: Sharing the sentiments of the lawyers, the Sindh High Court Bar Association’s (SHCBA) managing committee has decided to move the Supreme Court against the Parliamentary Committee’s (PC) decision to refuse an extension in the tenures of two SHC additional judges.

The SHCBA held a meeting to discuss the PC’s decision to reject the recommendations of the judicial commission.  They passed a unanimous resolution condemning the decision by the PC.

The resolution read “action  by the PC in refusing to allow Justice Tasnim and Justice Salman Hamid  to continue as Additional Judges for another period of one year despite the unanimous  recommendation of the Judicial Custody without giving any cogent reason in terms of Article 175-A (of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973) is condemnable”.

The resolution authorised its president and honorary secretary to file a petition and to appear before the apex court and seek a reversal of the PC’s decision.

They want to seek suspension of the decision and permission for the two judges to continue their duties. The petition is likely to be filed by Thursday and to be heard on Friday, February 25 by the apex court in Islamabad.

Justice Tasnim enjoyed an exceptionally good reputation among lawyers. His daily disposal of cases was extraordinary for his command over the law, a lawyer said. He was extremely good in dictating judgments and 90 per cent of them were upheld by the Supreme Court, something that established his competence and legal acumen, a source said.

Justice Tasnim had no backlog of cases and when he left his chamber he did not have any judgements pending, unlike some judges of the past who left hundreds of judgements reserved which had to then be heard afresh and decided later. If he reserved a judgement, he used to clear it in a week.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2011.