Lot of litigation borne out of egos, laments SC judge

Justice Mulk urges young judicial officers to sharpen their skills and improve their proficiency in the legal language

Lot of litigation borne out of ego gratification comes to the courts. So said Supreme Court judge Justice Nasirul Mulk, adding that, “In such a society, alternate dispute resolution techniques would be the best way to settle such disputes.”

He was speaking on Saturday at a certificate awarding ceremony at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) at the conclusion of a one-week course on “Skill-based alternate dispute resolution (ADR), legal writing and new laws” for lower-court judges and magistrates from all over Pakistan including Azad Kashmir, according to an FJA press release.

On the importance and efficacy of ADR techniques, the apex court judge said, “By applying alternate dispute resolution techniques, you are building a relationship between the parties and ending the dispute once and for all.” Highlighting the importance of legal language and legal writing, he urged the young judicial officers to sharpen their skills and improve their proficiency in the legal language and legal writing.

“To get command over language, always read law reports and good literature [including the classics], not trash,” adding that reading the best literature not only increase one’s command over a language, but also provides an understanding of human behaviour, human attitudes and the human psyche, he maintained.



He also urged trainee judges to stay on their toes, noting that “one small mistake in a judgment leads to many complications. Always think your decision is the final decision. Always keep this in your mind and make no mistakes in your decisions.”

He also asked the judges to always try to show sensitivity and prudence in family-matter cases.

The judge later handed out certificates to the participants.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2013.