Rights of marginalised: Govt lawyers asked to secure state, people’s interest

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Athar Minallah on Friday advised the district attorneys and their deputies to play a vigorous role to secure the interests of the state, besides protecting rights of the poor, marginalised and vulnerable people.

“You have a big role to play to maintain common man’s confidence in the State, in the government and also our legal and judicial system.”

He expressed these views while addressing the certificate distribution ceremony at the conclusion of a week-long training course for district attorneys and deputy district attorneys at the Federal Judicial Academy (now Center of Excellence for Law and Judicial Education).

“We all have to make collective efforts so that the goals of the historic lawyers’ movement could be attained,” he said.

“Being a professional lawyer and now elevated as a judge, I consider that proper training and grooming was essential for government pleaders.”

Justice Minallah said, “The government pleaders should be well-conversant with the conventional laws and subjects and also with new laws and developments. They have to be well-equipped with arbitration and corporate laws in this age of trade and commerce.”

Earlier in an informal talk with the participants late Thursday evening, Supreme Court judge Asif Saeed Khosa said that professional training was vital for effective service delivery.

They had gathered at the academy for “Academy Night” after the conclusion of their course.

Justice Khosa said that the academy had played a pivotal role in improving the efficiency of legal community. He said that the short- and long-term training programmes offered by the academy were highly effective in the professional development of the lawyers and judges. Justice Khosa maintained that the training programmes administered by the academy also kept the legal community up-to-date with the latest developments in the field as well as gave them an opportunity to network.

The attorneys also informed the Justice Khosa about the challenges and problems faced by them. Justice Khosa said that problems existed and deserved to be addressed for effective performance of the attorneys.

“I strongly believe that incentives are essential (for career growth) and lack of incentives generates (professional) ills and evils”, he remarked.

Earlier, the academy’s Director General Dr Faqir Hussain highlighted the importance of “Academy Night” and thanked the chief guest.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2014.