The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan has sentenced a lawyer to six months in prison for contempt of court.
This decision stems from a series of disruptive incidents that occurred during court proceedings, prompting the court to take strict action.
The case began with a suo moto proceedings initiated on a reference sent by LHC’s Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad against the lawyer.
The lawyer in question had engaged in highly contemptuous and disorderly conduct, which included shouting in the courtroom and levelling baseless allegations against the judge.
Moreover, he had instigated fellow lawyers to challenge the court’s authority, further exacerbating the situation.
The incident that triggered this legal action took place on February 21, when Abdul Samad, an additional prosecutor general, disrupted court proceedings while conversing with another lawyer and exchanging books.
The court promptly intervened, instructing Samad to refrain from disturbing the proceedings. However, during a brief adjournment, Advocate Zahid Mehmood Goraya, the respondent in this case, began shouting in the courtroom, levelling false allegations against the judge and inciting fellow lawyers to file a reference against Justice Tanvir.
Subsequently, Justice Tanvir called the lawyer to his chamber to address his behaviour. However, the lawyer not only refused to meet with the judge but also continued to use contemptuous language, exacerbating the situation further.
Following this incident, Justice Tanvir referred the matter to LHC’s Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, who initiated contempt proceedings against the lawyer.
A show cause notice was issued, demanding an explanation for the lawyer's conduct and directing him to appear in person before the court.
Despite multiple directives from the court, the lawyer failed to appear for the proceedings, prompting Chief Justice Khan to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant against him.
Eventually, the police apprehended the lawyer and produced him before the court.
Upon being presented in court, the lawyer tendered an apology, claiming that he never intended to use derogatory language against any court. However, Chief Justice Khan cited previous incidents of misconduct, including FIRs registered against the lawyer, suspension of his license by the Bar Councils, and references filed against him in the past.
In response, the lawyer maintained that he is a humble and calm professional, expressing his willingness to personally apologise to Justice Tanvir.
Chief Justice Khan, however, ordered day-to-day trial proceedings and scheduled the next hearing for framing charges against the lawyer.
During the trial, witnesses were examined, and the lawyer's version of events was heard in detail. After consideration of the evidence presented, Chief Justice Khan rendered a verdict, sentencing the lawyer to six months in prison and imposing a fine of Rs100,000.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2024.
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