No judge to insult lawyers: LHC CJ

Says lawyers should lodge their complaints with him; vows to purge Punjab judiciary of corrupt elements; addresses LHC Rawalpindi Bench Bar Association

RAWALPINDI: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has said that no judge of the lower judiciary would insult lawyers, who should lodge their respective complaints in this regard with him.

While addressing a meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench (LHCBAR), here on Thursday, he announced three steps to purge the Punjab judiciary of corrupt elements and make it the number one institution and an example for the rest of the country to emulate.

Justice Shah said he realised that the district judiciary needed more reforms and improvement. “If district courts perform well, 50 percent judiciary related problems would be solved. The district judiciary is my primary focus and the first steps towards its reformation is to eliminate corruption and appoint judges with good reputation,” Justice Shah said.

“If a judge does not carry a good reputation, we shall hold an inquiry and decide whether he is a fit person to be retained in service or not,” he said.“Secondly, the LHC administration is trying to improve the competence of judges. I have stopped 22 judges from working and sent them to the judicial academy. They could resume their offices, provided they clear the test,” he said.administration is installing CCTV cameras in all the the courts to monitor behaviour of the judges," he said.

"This will improve attitude of the judges but improving attitude of lawyers is responsibility of the bar," Justice Shah said. There should be no misbehaviour on the part of lawyers with judges and things like locking the courts and strikes should not happen, he said.

LHC chief justice said that there were 3,600 civil and 2,500 criminal cases pending in the LHC Rawalpindi bench. "I will form special bench to adjudicate these matters. Overall there were 1.3 million cases pending with the LHC," Justice Shah said and added, "Now it is time to decide for the future of the institution of judiciary and be straightforward. Rest of the country should see that there is justice in Punjab," LHC chief justice said.

Earlier at the start of his address, Justice Shah said that he was in a hurry as he had to attend a meeting called by the Supreme Court chief justice. "I am trying my full to make Punjab judiciary number one institution of the country," Justice Shah said and added that there was no rocket science required to uplift status of this institution and it only required good intentions and hard work.

Responding to a demand of HCBAR for appointment of a doctor at HCBAR dispensary, Justice Shah said that there would be a doctor there from next month. He suggested that the HCBAR dispensary should be named ‘Edhi Dispensary’. He said that LHC judges and administration had collected Rs7 million as a donation for Edhi Foundation. He urged lawyers to also raise funds for the noble cause.

Earlier HCBAR President Mujeebur Rehman Kayani while addressing the meeting assured LHC chief justice that in his efforts to activate and cleanse the judiciary, lawyer community would fully support him. He said that during his tenure as president, there would be no strike of lawyers. Kayani told the participants that Justice Shah remained his class fellow. He said that LHC Rawalpindi bench had a large number of pending civil revisions as old as 1992. He said that 50 percent of these civil revisions had gone infructuous. 

He urged LHC chief justice to form special bench for adjudication of these pending cases and also provide training to the judges for adopting good behaviour with the lawyers.  The meeting was participated by LHC judges, judges and officials of lower judiciary and members of lawyer community.