Matter of justice: Justice Jillani summons meeting of JCP today

JCP will consider the confirmation of seven additional PHC judges.

ISLAMABAD:

The Chief Justice of Pakistan has summoned a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) today (Thursday) to discuss the confirmation of seven Peshawar High Court judges.

Sources familiar with the matter said that under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the JCP will consider the matter related to the confirmation of seven additional PHC judges.

They also said that the Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) executive body has asked its representative in the JCP, Yasin Azad to raise the issue related to the amendment in the commission’s 2010 rules in the meeting today.

Meanwhile, the representatives of lawyers on Wednesday demanded that the superior judiciary amend the commission’s rules and said that bar representatives should also be allowed to initiate names for the appointment of superior court judges.

Regulating behaviour

PBC vice-chairman Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry held a meeting with the vice chairmen of the provincial bar councils in a move to evolve a mechanism for ending unnecessary lawyers’ strike calls as well as overcome violent behaviour in their community.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Chaudhry said that the council has decided to condemn the unnecessary lawyers’ strikes and that strict action will be taken against presidents of bar associations violating rules or announcing strikes.

“Superior bars have resolved to adopt other methods of protests that do not cause disturbance to litigants,” he added.

He also said that the council has decided to activate disciplinary committees for disposing cases related to lawyers’ misconduct.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2014.