SUKKUR, Dec 18: Justice Ghulam Rabbani of the Sindh High Court, Sukkur bench, has observed that delay in disposal of cases is eroding the foundation of the judicial system.
Speaking at a one-day workshop on "delay reduction and judicial ethics" held at a hotel here on Saturday, he said with the passage of time the inflow of cases was increasing and the delay in the disposal of the cases was multiplying miseries of litigants.
More than 35 district and sessions judges, additional sessions judges and senior civil judges from defunct Sukkur and Larkana divisions attended the workshop which was held under the auspices of the Sindh High Court, in collaboration with the Common Wealth Judicial Education Institute, Halifax (Canada), and the Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad. The workshop was sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency through the Asian Development Bank.
The keynote lecture was delivered by the first secretary (development), Canadian High Commission, H. E. Balgit Nagpal.
Justice Rabbani observed that the delay in dispensation of justice undermined the very purpose of courts. He invited suggestions for speedy disposal of cases. He hoped that the workshop would help reduce the delay in deciding cases by working out strategies for the purpose.
Speaking about judicial ethics, he said judges were bound to decide cases honestly, as emphasized in the Holy Quran and by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in his teachings.
Regarding the integrity of judicial officers, he said they should be impartial so that public confidence in judiciary could be enhanced.
Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi of the SHC said separation of judiciary from the executive branch under article 175 of the Constitution was a milestone in the country's judicial history.
He observed that the less number of judges, magistrates and prosecutors, non-cooperation of police in pursuing cases and delaying tactics by advocates during proceedings hampered quick dispensation of justice to litigants. He said failure on part of jail authorities to ensure presence of prisoners in courts for their trials due to lack of security force was also a reason for the delay in case disposal. He said steps, including establishment of new courts and appointment of judicial officers, should be taken to rectify the situation.
He defended his verdict declaring the jirga system unlawful, saying it was a parallel judicial system which exploited people.
However, he regretted that feudal lords were still holding jirgas in different areas. He said the role of judiciary was to deliver verdicts and the government had to implement the orders.
Justice Jafferi said under article 37(B) of the Constitution, judicial officers were bound to deliver quick justice to litigants.
He was also critical of the role of police during case proceedings.
Justice S. Ali Aslam Jafri of the high court said the best code of conduct for a judge was to perform his duty without any fear, favour or prejudice. He said a judge should go through all details of a case and examine every aspect of the case carefully before announcing his verdict.
He said judges were also a part of the society and, therefore, their social and economic needs should be considered.
