LHC looking to dispose of old cases on fast track
Judges hearing cases pending since 2012 or earlier have been issued deadlines
PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK
LAHORE:
Lahore High Court is taking the issue of pending cases quite seriously. Recently, it has started issuing lists for old pending cases on red paper to emphasise the urgency of the case, LHC Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik said.
Judges hearing cases pending since 2012 or earlier have been issued deadlines to decide the cases and to consider delay in verdicts, a breach of justice.
The chief justice has also been meeting with bar representatives in the province and has asked them to cooperate with judges to ensure speedy disposal of these cases.
Last week, the court proposed the appointment of 10 judges to the LHC. The number of judges in the LHC was increased to 60 during General Musharraf’s regime. If the judicial commission approves appointment of the 10 nominated judges, the number of judges in the LHC will become 59 – the highest it has ever been.
Those nominated are District and Sessions Judges Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Mushtaq Ahmad Tarar, Additional Advocate General Shahid Mobeen, Advocates Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry, Iram Sajjad Gul, Shahid Mahmood Sheikh, Farrukh Gulzar, Sarfraz Dogar, Aslam Javed, and Shahid Mahmood Abbasi.
Proclaimed Offenders
The court directed the Punjab Police to expedite the arrest of proclaimed offenders in order to ensure peace in the province.
Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa issued the direction while presiding over a meeting attended by anti-terrorism court judges in the Punjab, the additional home secretary, the capital city police officer, the Operations DIG, regional police officers, and the Punjab prosecutor general. The meeting was convened to review the performance of courts and the police.
The ATC judges submitted reports regarding the disposal of high-profile cases – including attacks on the Police Emergency [15] building and two worship places of Ahmadis in Lahore.
Justice Bajwa, the monitoring judge of ATCs, directed the judges to hold daily proceedings of high profile cases. He directed the Prosecution Department to improve its performance, and told the police to arrest all proclaimed offenders without delay.
Sugar Mills
Last week, the LHC sought replies from the federal and the provincial governments on a petition challenging a ban on establishing new sugar mills and expanding the existing ones.
Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi issued the order on a petition by Ibrahim Sugar Mills. Umar Farooq, the mills’ chief executive officer, said the Industries Department had not allowed him to install a new industrial unit as part of his mills.
He said the government had banned all extension and setting up of new sugar mills by amending the Punjab Industries (control on establishment expansion) Act in 2006. He said the then governor had passed the amendment. The petitioner’s counsel said that the Constitution guaranteed citizens the right to do lawful business. He said the ban violated fundamental rights. He requested the court to set aside the ban for being unconstitutional.
The judge observed that the ban appeared to be maintaining a monopoly of existing sugar mills. The judge adjourned hearing till May 16 and sought detailed replies from the respondent governments.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2015.
Lahore High Court is taking the issue of pending cases quite seriously. Recently, it has started issuing lists for old pending cases on red paper to emphasise the urgency of the case, LHC Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik said.
Judges hearing cases pending since 2012 or earlier have been issued deadlines to decide the cases and to consider delay in verdicts, a breach of justice.
The chief justice has also been meeting with bar representatives in the province and has asked them to cooperate with judges to ensure speedy disposal of these cases.
Last week, the court proposed the appointment of 10 judges to the LHC. The number of judges in the LHC was increased to 60 during General Musharraf’s regime. If the judicial commission approves appointment of the 10 nominated judges, the number of judges in the LHC will become 59 – the highest it has ever been.
Those nominated are District and Sessions Judges Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Mushtaq Ahmad Tarar, Additional Advocate General Shahid Mobeen, Advocates Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry, Iram Sajjad Gul, Shahid Mahmood Sheikh, Farrukh Gulzar, Sarfraz Dogar, Aslam Javed, and Shahid Mahmood Abbasi.
Proclaimed Offenders
The court directed the Punjab Police to expedite the arrest of proclaimed offenders in order to ensure peace in the province.
Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa issued the direction while presiding over a meeting attended by anti-terrorism court judges in the Punjab, the additional home secretary, the capital city police officer, the Operations DIG, regional police officers, and the Punjab prosecutor general. The meeting was convened to review the performance of courts and the police.
The ATC judges submitted reports regarding the disposal of high-profile cases – including attacks on the Police Emergency [15] building and two worship places of Ahmadis in Lahore.
Justice Bajwa, the monitoring judge of ATCs, directed the judges to hold daily proceedings of high profile cases. He directed the Prosecution Department to improve its performance, and told the police to arrest all proclaimed offenders without delay.
Sugar Mills
Last week, the LHC sought replies from the federal and the provincial governments on a petition challenging a ban on establishing new sugar mills and expanding the existing ones.
Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi issued the order on a petition by Ibrahim Sugar Mills. Umar Farooq, the mills’ chief executive officer, said the Industries Department had not allowed him to install a new industrial unit as part of his mills.
He said the government had banned all extension and setting up of new sugar mills by amending the Punjab Industries (control on establishment expansion) Act in 2006. He said the then governor had passed the amendment. The petitioner’s counsel said that the Constitution guaranteed citizens the right to do lawful business. He said the ban violated fundamental rights. He requested the court to set aside the ban for being unconstitutional.
The judge observed that the ban appeared to be maintaining a monopoly of existing sugar mills. The judge adjourned hearing till May 16 and sought detailed replies from the respondent governments.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2015.