Judicial system being made more democratic: CJ

Justice Gulzar assures lawyers more judge to be appointed in consultation with bars

LAHORE:

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has assured the legal practitioners that more judges would be appointed to courts in consultation with the lawyers as the judicial system is being made more democratic.

“The wall between judges and lawyers has been demolished to a great extent and an attempt is being made to move forward with mutual consultation regarding the court matters,” the CJ said while addressing a ceremony at the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) on Saturday,

“We are paving ways to reduce the distance between the bench and bar,” he said in an apparent reference to new appointments in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

According to an analysis published in the Express Tribune on November 30, there has been more openness in the proceedings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) during the tenure of Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, who is also the chairman of the JCP.

The JCP is a constitutional body which has a key role in appointing judges to the superior courts. The forum also confirms services of the additional judges of high courts.

For the last one decade, representatives of the superior bars had been complaining that non judicial JCP members had no opportunity to give an effective input on the nominee judges in the meetings.

However, several members of the JCP have now confirmed that the incumbent JCP chairman has brought more openness to the commission’s meetings in which detailed discussions take place now.

The CJ said now both the stakeholders take each other into confidence over matters regarding courts and lawyers. He said various changes made in the matters of judges and lawyers are included in the process of appointment of judges.

“More judges would be appointed with mutual consultation and we will be successful in making appointments of judges to the LHC," he added.

The CJ said it was the work of the Supreme Court to lay down new laws and explain them.

He urged lawyers not to go violent in any situation adding that if they did not like the decision of a judge, they should not indulge in fighting. He congratulated the lawyers’ community for abolishing the culture of strikes.

"Now we will introduce more democratic norms in our system and will move forward under them," the top judge added. The chief justice later inaugurated PbBC extension project and Centre of Excellence and Biometric System.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan also addressed the ceremony and said it is the judiciary's duty to ensure provision of justice to the deprived segments of society as per law.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP