LAHORE: The Supreme Court will change its priorities and bridge the differences between bar and the bench.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Husain Jillani stated this during a meeting with representatives of Supreme Court Bar Association and Lahore High Court Bar Association here on Saturday.

SCBA Secretary Asif Mahmood Cheema and LHCBA President Abid Saqi led the delegation.

The bar’s representatives sought attention of the CJP towards problems faced by the legal fraternity and hoped that the relation of bar and the bench would strengthen.

The LHCBA had been observing a boycott of the Supreme Court till retirement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The bar had been criticising Justice Chaudhry for, what it believed, taking the judiciary to a wrong direction and poking its nose into the executive’s affairs. However, the bar called off its boycott after Justice Jillani took oath of the office.

The bar had observed Youm-i-Nijaat on the day of Justice Chaudhry’s retirement and welcomed new CJP Jillani. It also sent a reference to Supreme Judicial Council against the former CJP on charges of ‘professional misconduct’.

During Saturday’s meeting, the bar’s leader said the legal fraternity wanted to see a new Supreme Court which would do justice not ‘politics.’

In response to bar’s longstanding concern over ‘excessive’ use of suo motu powers, CJP Jillani hinted at making rules to the effect to ensure right of appeal to aggrieved party in such proceedings. He said the cases of short-sentences and jail-appeals would be put on priority list of the Supreme Court.

The bar also complained about ‘impolite’ behaviour of judges with advocates in courts, however, Justice Jillani asked the representatives to also educate lawyers on how to address judges in courts. He vowed to bridge the differences between the bar and the bench. He said the judiciary would continue to dispense justice in accordance with the Constitution. The CJP accepted invitation of LHCBA to grace annual dinner of the bar next month.