Maiden tour: ‘New judges to help clear case backlog’

CJ says appointment of 696 judges being finalised.

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Manzoor Malik said on Friday cases pending for four years would be disposed of by the end of summer. He said recruitment of 696 judges for subordinate courts was being finalised in this regard.

He was addressing lawyers of Dera Ghazi Khan Bar Association.

He said induction of new judges would be completed by September.

“The backlog of pending cases is expected to be cleared with the help of new judges within a year,” he said. He said district and sessions judges, the district administration and police officials should meet weekly to iron ou problems in the criminal justice system.

He said the courts should be exempt from load shedding from 8am to 2pm.

Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner Saqib Aziz assured the chief justice that uninterrupted electricity supply would be ensured at Dera Ghazi Khan courts.

The chief justice said judges and lawyers associations should nurture good relations.

“Judges and lawyers are pursuing the same objective; justice. Then why should there be friction?” he said.

He urged lawyers to refrain from abandoning their work to protest various issues.

“Litigants suffer when you leave work,” he said. “They are your clients. Do not deny them the right to seek justice over petty concerns.”

He said actions of a few lawyers reflected badly on the majority.

“Strikes and protests should be aimed at resolving your problems but should not create problems for litigants.”

The chief justice said he would tour courts in various districts of the province and urge judges to clear pending cases as soon as possible.

He said he would look into the matter of a colony for lawyers of Dera Ghazi Khan.

The chief justice was accompanied by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

He asked Punjab Bar Council member Muhammad Arif Gurmani and Dera Ghazi Khan bar president Saleem Raza Kakar to nominate five lawyers for induction as judges.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2015.