Acting chief justice inaugurates legal research cell at SHC

Justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar, the acting chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC), inaugurated the Legal Research Cell at the high court on Wednesday.

Justice Ghaffar said on the occasion that former CJ Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui had earlier decided to establish the cell because judges used to face difficulties in research work while dealing with cases.

The acting CJ said the SHC has acquired the services of civil judges for the purpose of research, adding that nine civil judges have been assigned to the cell for now.

He said the provincial judiciary is facing a shortage of civil judges, adding that soon after fulfilling the vacant posts, a civil judge would be appointed for each bench of the high court for the purpose of research.

He also said the cell would be beneficial for civil judges as well, adding that they would get the opportunity to learn, which in turn would help them when they perform work on the judicial side.

Regarding the appointment of judicial officers in courts, Justice Ghaffar said that there is a procedure for appointment in the civil and district courts, adding that new judicial officers would be appointed first, then they would be promoted.

He said that around 24,000 civil cases are being transferred from the high court to the district courts after amendments to the law as regards the pecuniary jurisdiction of the high court, adding that transferring a large number of cases is not an easy task.

He also said that all the details of the transferred cases are available on the SHC’s website, adding that Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry is monitoring the transfer of civil cases that fall within the purview of the jurisdiction.