Senior lawyers call for respecting judiciary

Senior lawyers on Wednesday voiced concerns over the reported objectionable remarks by members of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) against the judiciary, and said the lawyers’ community would not support the council or any other such body if they went beyond their charter and mandate.

Addressing a press conference at the Sindh High Court, senior lawyers, including Shakeel Ahmed, Rana Azeem, Sohail Hameed and SM Altaf, said certain members of the council held a press conference, which was reported in a section of press, in which they claimed that the judiciary was rendering questionable and unpopular decisions.

They said these remarks were in utter denial of one of the major roles of the bar council to uphold and vindicate the dignity and independence of the judiciary. They said the SBC was a statutory body under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act and was obligated to adhere to its mandate in all circumstances.

They said the lawyers would not support the SBC or any other such body if they went beyond their charter and limit or if they indulged in any activity or assumed a role which was not covered by its mandate. They said the legal fraternity would strongly resist any subversion on the part of any official or member of the council.

They said the rights guaranteed under the constitution and the law could not be achieved by the people until the establishment of a corruption-free society. They appreciated the judiciary and said the judiciary was rightly performing its constitutional functions, and that was causing annoyance to certain elements which were raising a hue and cry in the parliament and in public meetings.

They expressed serious concern over the derogatory remarks by politicians, including ministers and senators, against the judiciary in public meetings, press conferences and TV talk shows.

They urged the SBC members to refrain from making such utterances as were published in a section of the press so that things did not lead to any confrontation between the bench and the bar. They resolved that the lawyers would not be a party to any campaign against the judiciary.