Chief justice suggests increasing number of IHC judges

Decision comes forward as a means of avoiding delays in matters of justice

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has said that citizens of the country should be given speedy justice, but the subordinate courts of Islamabad appear to face a deadlock in implementing rules and regulations.

“We want to increase the number of judges in Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the matter has already been referred to the government,” Justice Nisar said.

He was heading a three-member bench for the case against rules of the subordinate judiciary. The CJP lamented that an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) took two months to settle two cases while the monthly budget of the court stands at Rs600,000. With this rate, the court incurred a cost of Rs600,000 for one case, he said, adding the cost for completing one case in the Supreme Court was Rs4.4 million.

“This is a poor country,” he said commenting on high cost of justice.

Regarding the slow pace of lower courts, he said it seems that judges of subordinate courts are here for life. “A day will come when the judicial system of Islamabad will choke. We need to increase the number of judges in the high court and the matter remains unattended by the government.”

He noted that the judges serving in Islamabad do not see promotions. The problem is ultimately to be solved by the government. “The government may legislate in this regard and we have always respected legislations,” stated the CJP.

The Attorney General in his argument said that the case is pending in the Supreme Court which is why the rules were not amended. The CJP then extended the time for making amendments in the rules.

Justice Ejazul Ahsan demanded that the federal government while pondering over the matter should also take into confidence all provincial governments. Further hearing has been adjourned for an indefinite time.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2018.