Chief justice cautions institutions against crossing limits

Says judiciary is empowered to intervene when obligations are unfulfilled

LAHORE: All institutions must stay within their domain but the judiciary has the authority to review laws formulated by the executive, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali said on Saturday.

He was speaking at the Judicial Conference organised in connection with the conclusion of the 150th anniversary of the Lahore High Court at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.



The CJP said that if other institutions failed to perform their duties, the judiciary could intervene to fulfill people’s aspirations.

Stressing the need for effectively coping with bribery, black-marketing and cronyism, he said that the supremacy of the law was crucial for maintaining peace, protecting rights and upholding the principles of social welfare.

All responsibilities were borne by the judiciary, he said.

The judiciary, he said, needed the cooperation of the bar to fulfill its responsibilities.

According to him, all courts, ranging from magistrates to judges of the Supreme Court, were independent and dispensing justice without any pressure.

He said ascendancy of Lahore High Court judges could not be ignored for interpreting the law. Appreciating the organisers of the conference, he said such ceremonies played an important role in the development of institutions.



The designated CJP, Mian Saqib Nisar, congratulated LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah for organising the celebrations.

He said that judges are not duty-bound to dispose of the cases, but they must deliver justice.

Judges also do not have unlimited powers and they should perform within the limits of the law, he said.

He expressed the hope that future LHC decisions would be better than those of other high courts.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah said that institutions should have priority over individuals. “Individuals are important but institutions cannot be ignored at their cost,” he said.

He said that self-accountability was necessary for institutional progress, which should not be compromised.

Stressing the need for coordination between various departments linked with the judiciary, he said that all problems could be resolved through dialogue.

“All institutions must keep within their limits, keeping (the ideals of) national progress supreme.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2016.