Training starts for judges and magistrates

PESHAWAR: The five-week pre-service training for the newly inducted civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates/Illaqa Qazis commenced at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy Peshawar) on Wednesday.

Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court/ the chairman of the academy Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim was the chief guest.Justice Ijaz Anwar, senior puisne judge/vice-chairman of academy, Barrister Ikhtiar Khan, Registrar of Peshawar High Court, Jehanzeb Shinwari, academy’s Director General, and directors also attended the ceremony.

Jehanzeb Shinwari extended the heartiest congratulations to the trainees on their entry into the profession. He said that the tier of civil judges was like a nucleus of the district judiciary.The academy’s DG added that judges should have the law at their fingertips. As a judicial officer, they must have a deep understanding of both substantive and procedural laws, enabling them to deliver speedy and effective justice to the litigants.

Jehanzeb Shinwari said that the academy had designed the training programme to equip the participants with the skill to meet the challenges and demands of their new assignment.He said it was aimed at sensitizing them about their new responsibilities, to inculcate ethical values and standards and to enhance their professional skills and knowledge.

The PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim congratulated the participants on their appointment as civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates/Illaqa qazis and said that it was not an ordinary position.He highlighted the fragile nature of this profession. “The office of a judge/qazi comes with a unique set of obligations and values, such as independence, impartiality, dignity, propriety, equality, competence, and diligence,” said the PHC chief justice.

Elaborating on the significance of training, he said the pre-service training was an essential requirement for the participants, which would enable them to perform duties efficiently and effectively.

While highlighting the effect of the conduct of judges/qazis, he referred to judicial ethics and placed great emphasis on the study of “Adab-ul-Qazi written by Dr Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi.The ceremony concluded with a tour of the trainees to various wings of the academy to become acquainted with their future training environment.