Justice Isa wants ‘speedy justice’ for people

Says impression it takes decades for courts to reach decision needs to be revised

LAHORE:

Justice Qazi Faez Isa has stressed the need to deliver “speedy justice” to the people, saying that the impression among them that it takes decades for courts to reach a decision needs to be revised.

“People are facing different types of difficulties when their cases are heard in courts as they mostly believe that decisions are handed in after decades,” Justice Isa said while addressing a seminar organised by the legal fraternity on Saturday.

The Supreme Court judge addressed two different seminars arranged by the Punjab Bar Council and the Lahore High Court Bar Association.

Justice Isa said they had prepared a check list and the civil courts had been directed not to delay any case following the counsel’s engagements in superior courts.

Justice Isa questioned the supremacy of law, saying he had received murder threats that he would be hanged in the central square but no FIR was registered.

He said that his wife approached the concerned quarters to register an FIR, but it was not registered. “It was a serious case but no one bothered.” 

On a lighter note, he added, “No one should be afraid of the people as we live among them and should resolve their problems.”

Further, he modestly expelled the notions that he was a “symbol of independent judiciary” and “future of judiciary”, saying that the titles given to him by Supreme Court Bar Association President  Ahsan Bhoon had nothing to do with reality and he did not deserve them.

On strikes by lawyers, Justice Isa said judges and the court staff withdraw their salaries while the litigants bear the cost of strikes.

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He emphasised that lawyers should be recognised by their success in their cases.

He recalled that when he was the Balochistan High Court’s chief justice, he did not let lawyers go on a strike and resolved their genuine problems in a proper way.

He, however, expressed dismay over the condition of Mall Road, saying he had heard Lahore was a beautiful city but was astonished to see that there were damaged pavements causing difficulties for senior citizens and inundated roads.

He wondered about the condition of other areas after seeing Mall Road.

Addressing the seminar, SCBA President Bhoon said: “A culture of intolerance has taken root in the country.” He urged to do away with the negative opinion against those judges who give dissenting notes in court decisions.

“It is astonishing to see that people start campaigns against judges and link them with different institutions after reading dissenting notes.”