Capacity building conference: ‘Parliamentarians could have amended Article 62 and 63 if they didn’t like it’

CJ wants insulation of both the bar and the bench from all influences.

CJ wants insulation of both the bar and the bench from all influences.

HYDERABAD:


Sindh High Court Chief Justice Mushir Alam said that the outgoing parliament could have amended the Constitution if they were opposed to certain clauses when asked about scrutiny of papers under Article 62 and 63. He was talking to the media after addressing a conference on capacity building of lawyers on Friday.


“I hope the new parliament will continue to improve the [elections related] laws,” he said.

Justice Alam said around 80 per cent of DROs, ROs and AROs are judicial officers and the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has been requested to guide the returning officers about the process of vetting the nomination forms under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. He said that the judicial officers took guidance from the JCP and not the judiciary.

He also clarified that the electoral proceeding were being supervised by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the judiciary has nothing to do with candidates’ scrutiny.




Earlier while addressing the conference, the CJ said that the Provincial Justice Development Fund (PJDF) is providing training to the young lawyers. The SHC, he added, is setting up a central desk to guide the bar associations about how they can benefit from the fund.

“An independent and impartial judiciary insulated from the executive and other influences can only be achieved by strengthening the rank and file of both the bar and the bench.”

Justice Alam also informed the audience that Justice Sajjad Ali Shah has been tasked to institutionalise the fund so that each bar association in the province is aware what the PJDF has to offer them.

He added that recently a new ‘research and reform branch’ has been established for interaction with the bar associations and other stakeholders to prepare short and long term development programmes for the bar and the bench.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2013. 
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