CJ urges lawyers to turn down incentives

Newly-enrolled Supreme Court advocates urged to uphold the Consitution.

ISLAMABAD: It is time for members of the bar to commit that they will not be influenced by any ‘incentive’ or reward for supporting extra-constitutional acts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday.

He was addressing the 15th roll signing ceremony of newly-enrolled advocates of the apex court in which 53 new advocates (39 from Punjab, 7 from Sindh, one from Balochistan and six from Islamabad ) signed on as advocates of the Supreme Court.

Justice Chaudhry said that like superior court judges, who are now bound by law not to take oath from any unlawful authority, lawyers should also resolve to uphold the Constitution.

While welcoming the new lawyers, he also reminded them of their stature and urged them to assist the apex court with dedication.

Urging them to work hard, he said that no court in the country was higher than the Supreme Court and there was no remedy available after the apex court. “Therefore, you should…properly assist the court.”

Reminding the lawyers that although Supreme Court advocates are not required to be administered an oath, they should make effort to abide by the Constitution and the law.

“After 63 years we have been able to realise that our salvation and survival rests upon the rule of law and implementation of the Constitution. As you know the honourable judges of the Supreme Court and high courts are subject to a code of conduct. In addition, (according to) the judgment of the Supreme Court in the Sindh High Court Bar Association versus the federation of Pakistan delivered on June 31, last year, they (superior court judges) are bound to act only under the Constitution and not to take orders from any unlawful authority or take oath other than under the Constitution.

“I believe it is time that the learned members of the bar should give the court the same commitment and should refrain from being influenced by any incentive for supporting the acts in contravention of the Constitution,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said.

Dr Faqir Hussain, the Supreme Court registrar, also welcomed the newly-enrolled advocates. For the complete list of the newly-enrolled advocates please visit our website tribune.com.pk

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2010.