Rule of law, justice necessary for development of society: CJP

Chief Justice says that courts need to reduce backlog of cases.

QUETTA: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that rule of law and provision of justice is necessary for the stability and development of the society.

While speaking at a session of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee in Quetta on Saturday, the Chief Justice said that an independent and strong judiciary would guarantee the rule of law and good governance, adding that the purpose of the National Judicial Policy was to provide impartial justice to all sections without discrimination of race, colour, religious beliefs and social status. He also stressed the need for implementation of justice, saying that justice should be discerned.

Chief Justice Chaudhry said that the fruits of judicial policy were reaching the masses and more positive results would be achieved within next few months, but maintained that it was necessary to increase the number of judicial officers for rapidly dealing with the pending cases in courts.

“It is responsibility of all the institutions, including judiciary, to provide justice to the masses,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said, adding that all institutions should carry out all the decisions on merit basis. “Quick provision of justice and rule of law ensure stability in the society,” CJ remarked, adding that provision of economical justice was foremost priority of judicial policy.

Commenting on the implementation progress of the previous national judicial policy, the Chief in the courts, the ratio of dealing the cases had increased and performance had improved.

Chief Justice directed all the session and additional session judges that justice should not only be done but also seen. He said that top priority should be given to old cases in the high courts and the sub-ordinate courts, reminding them that software would soon be implemented to monitor the status of pending cases.

Talking about the condition of the prisons, CJ said that reforms were necessary for the improvement of the condition of jails. Chief Justice directed the authorities concerned and district and session judges to visit the prisons after each 15 days and check the facilities, administration’s behaviour with prisoners and dates of appearance of the prisoners before courts.