MULTAN: Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa says judges earn respect from society because they decide their matters.

“If a judge does not give his verdict after hearing arguments, there is no difference between him and a postman,” he said in his address to members of the Lahore High Court’s Multan bar on Friday

The chief justice started his speech in Seraiki, saying he was not a guest rather the Multan bar was his home from where he started practice as a lawyer.

The focus of his speech was decline in the standards of law practice and its causes. The chief justice said that a large number of lawyers were being produced every year on account of mushroom growth of private law colleges. However, a majority of these entrants do not get an opportunity to work with senior lawyers.

Cites poor education quality of private law schools & work burden on judges as main ills afflicting justice system

Highlighting poor teaching standards in law colleges, Chief Justice Khosa said that “a student passing the first year of LLB is offered to teach students of first year” to get fee waiver for second year.

“Unfortunately, today young lawyers do not have the opportunity to learn good traditions and practices from the seniors having 20 to 30 years’ experience.”

Because of the same reason, he said, young lawyers elected young representatives to head bars, keeping most of senior lawyers away from bar politics.

The CJP stressed the need for introducing such a system through which each young lawyer may get training from their seniors.

He said that another imbalance in the judicial system had been created due to increase in the number of cases.

“In the past the judges could afford to listen to lawyers without haste because of a small number of cases, but now judges are unable to give ample time to lawyers to the extent of their satisfaction,” he elaborated Chief Justice Khosa said the focus of the bar and bench should be the litigant.

“They should think about relief for the litigant at each step. When they do so, they will come to the court with proper preparation. If the lawyers do this, they will not seek adjournment.”

Recalling his work with the Multan bar, Chief Justice Khosa said that he was there when the bar hall was constructed. Multan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi benches were announced on the same day on Jan 9, 1981. The Multan bench was made functional the very next day.

While remembering his friends, colleagues and days in Multan, the chief justice said that Multan always remained close to his heart.

“Today the senior most and junior most judges of the Supreme Court are from Multan,” he noted with joy and pride.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2019