20000410

Chief Justice calls for early disposal of neglected cases

ABBOTABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Irshad Hasan Khan has said that there is need to change public perception of the judiciary through accountability process, improvement in performance and adherence to the code of conduct prescribed for the judges of superior courts.

This, he said, while addressing as chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of Peshawar High Court, Abbotabad circuit bench building here on Sunday.

Besides judges of Peshawar High Court, Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court and judges of the Supreme Court, federal and provincial law secretaries, NWFP advocate general, assistant advocate generals, members of the bar council and a large number of lawyers attended the function. Members of judiciary from Hazara were also present.

The Chief Justice in his speech said: "We had focused the attention on the disposal of the generally neglected cases of weaker segments of the society with special care to the women, widows, orphans and other deserving persons."

He said that the judiciary was very much concerned with the backlog and this pendency has shaken the confidence of the public. He said: "We had adopted the double track policy of struggling for securing better working conditions for judges of the subordinate courts and at the same time persuading them to work for clearance of the backlog and banishing the curse of delay in the dispensation of justice.

He said that implementation cell has been established at every level to monitor the performance.

Talking about the causes of backlog and delay in disposal of cases, the Chief Justice said: "We went in details for the reasons and noted that they are operating under dismal conditions. There is chronic shortage of judicial officers, ministerial staff, equipment and books, huge case lists which are impossible for the presiding officers to tackle and inadequate budgetary allocations.

He stressed the need for utilisation of best possible available resources for the time being both manpower and material.

Earlier, Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, Mr. Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal appreciated the efforts of Hazara Bar by producing the some big names in the judiciary whose services are to be written in golden words.

He pointed out that positive results has been shown by the judiciary in the NWFP to clear the backlog and added that it has been achieved with the joint and concrete efforts of the cooperation of bar and bench.

He said the Abbotabad circuit bench building has been completed with a total cost of Rs. 22.063 millions having the facility of a court room for divisional bench and two court rooms for single bench.

Akbar Khan, President of the High Court Bar Association, Abbotabad bench, in his address of welcome asked the judiciary to play positive role for the revival of democracy to bring the country out of crisis. APP