Rule of law necessary for society to prosper: Chief justice

Says purpose of National Judicial Policy is to provide impartial justice to all without discrimination.

QUETTA:

Making no bones about the positive impact of the rule of law and providing justice to people, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that the two are necessary and go hand in hand for the stability and development of any society.

Addressing a session of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee in Quetta, the chief justice said that an independent and strong judiciary would always guarantee rule of law and good governance, adding that the purpose of the National Judicial Policy was to provide impartial justice to all without discrimination based on race, colour, religious beliefs and social status.

Chief Justice Chaudhry said the fruits of the National Judicial Policy were reaching the masses and more positive results would be achieved within the next few months.

He said that it was necessary to increase the number of judicial officers to efficiently and rapidly deal with the overwhelming number of cases pending before courts.

“It is the responsibility of all the institutions, including the judiciary, to provide justice to the masses,” Chief Justice Chaudhry said, adding that all institutions should make their decisions based on merit.

“Quick provision of justice and the rule of law ensure stability in society,” he remarked, adding that the provision of swift justice was the foremost priority of the judicial policy.

The chief justice stated that after the implementation of the policy in courts, the ratio of dealing with cases effectively had increased and the courts’ performances had improved.

He directed all session and additional session judges to serve in a manner that bears a positive impact on society.

The top judicial officer of Pakistan said that top priority should be given to old cases pending in the high and subordinate courts.

He added that after the implementation of the National Judicial Policy, the performance of courts providing justice was being monitored, and new technological software was also implemented in consultation with high courts.

Commenting on the dilapidated condition of the country’s prisons, CJ Chaudhry said that sweeping reforms were necessary to improve their condition. He directed concerned authorities and district and session judges to visit all prisons every 15 days to check the state of the facilities and the prison administrations’ behaviour towards the prisoners, and to also ensure that prisoners appear before courts on given dates.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2012.