January 20, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 10, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 19: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Husain has said slack, incompetent and corrupt judges will soon be taken to task.

He was speaking to the district and sessions judges of Punjab, including Islamabad, at the Lahore High Court committee room. He said it was not hard to distinguish between the corrupt and the honest judges. “I have already got myself acquainted with facts,” the chief justice observed.

He underlined the need for the judges to promote Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism (ADRM) with reference to Section 89 (A) of the CrPC. In this regard the functions of Musalihat Anjumans under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 and Insaaf Committees under the Small Claims and Minor Offences Courts Ordinance 2002 might be complemented.

“The judge while conducting cases in courts should try for amicable resolutions through reconciliation and mediation and such an approach will enhance the prestige and public confidence of courts”, he said.

Felicitating the judges on upgrade of their pay scales and increase in allowances, the chief justice said: “I made the decision considering these benefits as right of the judicial officers”.

However, he said, the increased perks demanded that the high court should improve administration of justice and the judges come up to the expectations of the high court as well as the nation.

The corrupt elements, he reiterated, would be penalised and the honest and diligent judges would be rewarded for righteousness.