Lawyer lands in hot water after insulting judge
Advocate accused of threatening, using abusive language against a judicial magistrate
Sindh High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
A lawyer was fined Rs200 on Thursday by a judicial magistrate after being convicted of insulting the judge and interrupting court proceedings around two weeks ago.
Advocate Suhail Baig Noori was accused of intentionally insulting judicial magistrate Shahid Hussain Soomro and interrupting court proceedings in rage after not receiving a desired order on June 3.
The District West XVIII judicial magistrate observed that the accused was given chances to defend himself but failed to avail them, thus his right to defend himself was deemed waived.
The facts, as mentioned in the verdict, state that on June 3, the accused barged into the chamber of the judge, who at that time was writing an order in another case.
The lawyer spoke to the judge in an intimidating manner and hurled profanities at him during the arguments, read the order. “Tum mujhe jante nahi ho. Mera naam Suhail Baig Noori he [You don’t know who I am. My name is Suhail Baig Noori],” began the irate advocate. He went on to threaten the judge, using extremely vulgar language. “Aesa sabaq sikhaunga kay tumhe mujh per FIR katwani par jae gi. Balke tumhare legal heirs ko mujh per FIR katwani par jaegi [I will teach you a lesson and you will have to register an FIR against me. Rather, your legal heirs will have to register an FIR against me],” he threatened.
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When the magistrate asked the lawyer to behave himself, he grew angrier and used abusive language. He threatened the judge and demanded he ‘put his pen down and speak to him’.
Such conduct of the accused amounted to a criminal offense and after taking cognisance of it under Section 228 of the Pakistan Penal Code, the judge issued him a show-cause notice to give him a chance to defend himself.
The lawyer did not reply, even though the judge reissued the notice.
“The intentional disregard of the accused is evident from the fact that he has been uploading the show-cause notice on his Facebook [page], which went viral on social media in a bid to create unfavourable environment for the court,” the judge observed.
The order added that the accused had committed the same offence in the past as well. In 2009, he spewed abuses against the then Central district and sessions judge, Sofia Lateef, and additional session judge Sikandar Lashari.
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When tried for his behaviour before a Sindh High Court division bench, Noori had tendered an unconditional apology. Later he also called District East judicial magistrate Malik Javed ‘badtameez and beghairat’.
Three staffers of the Court XVIII also deposed against the accused and confirmed the contentions of the allegations against him.
The judge, in his order, added that if the lawyer failed to submit the fine, he will have to undergo an imprisonment of 30 days.
The order was copied to SHC registrar, all district and sessions judges, vice-chairperson of the Pakistan Bar Council, general secretaries of the SHC and Karachi bar associations and Sindh police inspector-general for further action and for execution of the warrant of commitment.
A lawyer was fined Rs200 on Thursday by a judicial magistrate after being convicted of insulting the judge and interrupting court proceedings around two weeks ago.
Advocate Suhail Baig Noori was accused of intentionally insulting judicial magistrate Shahid Hussain Soomro and interrupting court proceedings in rage after not receiving a desired order on June 3.
The District West XVIII judicial magistrate observed that the accused was given chances to defend himself but failed to avail them, thus his right to defend himself was deemed waived.
The facts, as mentioned in the verdict, state that on June 3, the accused barged into the chamber of the judge, who at that time was writing an order in another case.
The lawyer spoke to the judge in an intimidating manner and hurled profanities at him during the arguments, read the order. “Tum mujhe jante nahi ho. Mera naam Suhail Baig Noori he [You don’t know who I am. My name is Suhail Baig Noori],” began the irate advocate. He went on to threaten the judge, using extremely vulgar language. “Aesa sabaq sikhaunga kay tumhe mujh per FIR katwani par jae gi. Balke tumhare legal heirs ko mujh per FIR katwani par jaegi [I will teach you a lesson and you will have to register an FIR against me. Rather, your legal heirs will have to register an FIR against me],” he threatened.
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When the magistrate asked the lawyer to behave himself, he grew angrier and used abusive language. He threatened the judge and demanded he ‘put his pen down and speak to him’.
Such conduct of the accused amounted to a criminal offense and after taking cognisance of it under Section 228 of the Pakistan Penal Code, the judge issued him a show-cause notice to give him a chance to defend himself.
The lawyer did not reply, even though the judge reissued the notice.
“The intentional disregard of the accused is evident from the fact that he has been uploading the show-cause notice on his Facebook [page], which went viral on social media in a bid to create unfavourable environment for the court,” the judge observed.
The order added that the accused had committed the same offence in the past as well. In 2009, he spewed abuses against the then Central district and sessions judge, Sofia Lateef, and additional session judge Sikandar Lashari.
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When tried for his behaviour before a Sindh High Court division bench, Noori had tendered an unconditional apology. Later he also called District East judicial magistrate Malik Javed ‘badtameez and beghairat’.
Three staffers of the Court XVIII also deposed against the accused and confirmed the contentions of the allegations against him.
The judge, in his order, added that if the lawyer failed to submit the fine, he will have to undergo an imprisonment of 30 days.
The order was copied to SHC registrar, all district and sessions judges, vice-chairperson of the Pakistan Bar Council, general secretaries of the SHC and Karachi bar associations and Sindh police inspector-general for further action and for execution of the warrant of commitment.