Supreme Court moved against lower court judge

Petitioner accuses Sukkur’s district and sessions judge of misusing authority

ISLAMABAD:

A petitioner has moved the Supreme Court against a district and sessions judge in Sukkur for allegedly misusing his authority and requested the court to stop the judge from performing his duty.

The petitioner, Muhammad Sharif, accused that District and Sessions Court Judge Suhail Muhammad Leghari transferred a murder case to another court by misusing the authority vested in him.

He said the people who had requested for transfer of the case to another court were not an aggrieved party. He requested the apex court to set aside the judge’s August 22 decision to transfer the case.

The petitioner also requested the court to order an inquiry against the judge and to stop him from working till the apex court decides the petition.

The transfer of cases from one court to another has become a norm in the subordinate court. This practice has ruined the judicial system, the petitioner claimed.

 According to Sindh High Court (SHC) website, all complaints against judicial officers of district courts of Sindh province are to be sent to the high court’s member inspection team-I.

The forum that addresses complaints against judges of the superior courts – high courts and the Supreme Court – is the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) which is headed by the chief justice of Pakistan.

The council also comprises two most senior Supreme Court judges and two most senior chief justices of the provincial high courts. The SJC is empowered under Article 209 of the Constitution to hear cases of misconduct against judges.