Clerks barred from appearing in court In lieu of lawyers

Court inspection team wants cost imposed on unnecessary adjournments

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court (IHC) prohibited on Sunday the clerks and secretaries from appearing in the court on behalf of lawyers.

The prohibition, directed by the court's inspection team, comes following an order issued by Justice Babar Sattar earlier this month when it had come to the attention of the court that a secretary had given an affidavit in the absence of the lawyer during a case.

The letter written by the inspection team to the lower courts said that the practice of clerks appearing in lieu of lawyers should be abolished, asking the courts to ensure implementation of the Compensation Act to discourage the practice of asking date unnecessarily.

The Compensation Act had been introduced with the aim to discourage the practice of taking dates over and over again as well as to take action against fake cases.

According to the Act, damages can be paid to the opposing party by imposing a date on the party who took the date without any reason.

The act also gives the judge the power to impose costs of legal proceedings on the person registering a false case.