No rush on 28th amendment: says minister

LAHORE:

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday said the 28th Constitutional Amendment would not be introduced in haste.

Addressing the inauguration of the Lawyers Education Academy at the Punjab Bar Council and a certificate distribution ceremony for successful participants of the Bar Vocational Course, he said that whenever the amendment is introduced, it will only be after broad consultation.

He noted that the legal fraternity, including the Supreme Court Bar Association and other bar councils, had supported the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments.

On judicial reforms, Tarar said a seven-member committee had been constituted to ensure transparency and merit in the appointment of High Court judges.

The committee will interview candidates and submit its recommendations to the Judicial Commission.

Questioning why high court judges should not undergo interviews when civil judges and additional sessions judges are required to pass examinations, the minister said judicial appointments must be based strictly on merit.

He added that the government was introducing, for the first time, a constitutional mechanism for the annual evaluation of judges' performance through a Judges Evaluation Committee.

Under the proposed system, a Judges Evaluation Committee will review the performance of judges at the end of each year. If a judge's performance is found unsatisfactory, the committee may send a reference to the Judicial Commission and recommend removal, he added.

He said the government was committed to improving legal education, strengthening the professional training of lawyers and ensuring the effective administration of justice.

The minister said work was underway on introducing a comprehensive health insurance policy for lawyers and their families. He said the federal and Punjab governments were extending full support to the welfare of the legal fraternity.

Tarar said lawyers would be provided treatment for cancer, kidney, liver and heart diseases at both public and private hospitals under the proposed health scheme. He added that the Punjab government had released Rs1.35 billion in grants for bar associations and announced an additional Rs20 million for the Bar Vocational Course.

The minister said the establishment of the Directorate of Legal Education at the Pakistan Bar Council was a major reform aimed at modernising legal education. He described the legal profession as a sacred responsibility and urged lawyers to strengthen their institutions and resolve disputes through institutional forums.

Punjab Bar Council Executive Committee Chairman Fakhar Hayat Awan said the Bar Vocational Course had been mandatory since 2018 and announced that the Punjab Bar Council would no longer issue licences without verification of law degrees by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

He also announced that the Bar's Benevolent Fund had been increased from Rs300,000 to Rs600,000, pledging that there would be no compromise on the rights and welfare of lawyers.

Earlier, the federal law minister inaugurated the Lawyers Education Academy and later distributed certificates among successful participants of the Bar Vocational Course.

The ceremony was attended by Judicial Commission member Ahsan Bhoon, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti, Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Khawaja Qaiser Butt, senior office-bearers of the Pakistan and Punjab Bar Councils, and a large number of lawyers.

LAWMINISTER