No one is above the law: CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry
Appreciates media, civil society for supporting independent judiciary.
ISLAMABAD:
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that there was no immunity for anyone “come what may,” adding that “all and sundry” had to follow the rule of law.
Addressing an enrolment ceremony of new Supreme Court lawyers, Justice Chaudhry said the independent judiciary, duly supported by the media and civil society, has rendered landmark judgments on the basis of one component: no one is above the law.
The top judge observed that the country witnessed unprecedented changes in the wake of the lawyers’ movement, which resulted in a healthy debate about the need to change old habits.
It is high time that this sea of change in the country’s constitutional and political history was accepted by all “without any ifs and buts,” he said.
He further said that this is a new Pakistan where old structures are crumbling and past demons are being exterminated one by one.
“Being a lawyer of the apex court of the country, it is your added responsibility to fully make yourself well-versed with the challenges being faced by both the bench and the bar in view of raised expectations of people,” the chief justice told the assembly of lawyers.
Unless and until the lawyers are committed to their job, the output of the institution cannot sustain improvement over a period of time, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2012.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that there was no immunity for anyone “come what may,” adding that “all and sundry” had to follow the rule of law.
Addressing an enrolment ceremony of new Supreme Court lawyers, Justice Chaudhry said the independent judiciary, duly supported by the media and civil society, has rendered landmark judgments on the basis of one component: no one is above the law.
The top judge observed that the country witnessed unprecedented changes in the wake of the lawyers’ movement, which resulted in a healthy debate about the need to change old habits.
It is high time that this sea of change in the country’s constitutional and political history was accepted by all “without any ifs and buts,” he said.
He further said that this is a new Pakistan where old structures are crumbling and past demons are being exterminated one by one.
“Being a lawyer of the apex court of the country, it is your added responsibility to fully make yourself well-versed with the challenges being faced by both the bench and the bar in view of raised expectations of people,” the chief justice told the assembly of lawyers.
Unless and until the lawyers are committed to their job, the output of the institution cannot sustain improvement over a period of time, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2012.