LAHORE: Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court said on Saturday the legislation in assemblies should be made public in Urdu for the benefit of the maximum population.

He said usually the legislation was made in English and the majority of the citizens remained unfamiliar with the laws being introduced in the country.

“How can we ask people to abide by law if laws are not available in the national language,” he said and added that much needed to be done to introduce legislation in Urdu language.

Justice Isa was addressing a gathering of lawyers at the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA). Later, he also spoke at a function hosted by the Punjab Bar Council (PBC).

The judge told the lawyers that he walked from GOR-I to reach the Lahore High Court to observe civic facilities in the city. However, he said, the situation on The Mall was disappointing.

About the elevation of judges, Justice Isa said the appointment of a judge was the most difficult task. He wondered that judges in the district judiciary were appointed after examinations but there was no such mechanism for the higher courts.

He said the contribution of the women population was critical for the progress of the country.

Justice Isa said he was the first chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) who proposed appointment of the first woman judge in the court. Referring to BHC’s former chief justice Tahira Safdar, the judge said he did not know as to why she was not elevated to the Supreme Court as he was not a member of the judicial commission at that time.

Justice Isa said being chief justice of the BHC he ensured that the strikes by lawyers did not affect the proceedings of courts. He said the ultimate sufferer of the strikes was the litigant public as judges and the court staff received the same salary every month.

He said there were several other methods to raise voice for legitimate demands like passing resolutions and writing letters to the authorities. However, he said, a lawful protest could be held as holding a protest was the constitutional right of every citizen.

The justice said the litigant public had a chronic complaint against courts for inordinate delay in deciding cases. He said some lawyers had apprehensions that use of technology would diminish their practice.

He also talked about the delay in registration of an FIR on the complaint of his wife against death threats hurled on him. He said the offence was related to the terrorism but the FIR was registered under the cyber crime law.

Justice Isa said he was called a “brave judge”. However, he said, a judge should have the fear of Allah and the Constitution.

Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association President Ahsan Bhoon said Justice Isa was a brave judge and all other judges should follow him. He said the law ministry had offered LHCBA’s then president Tahir Nasrullah Warraich huge money in bribe for withdrawing support of Justice Isa against the government’s reference.

LHCBA President Maqsood Buttar paid a tribute to Justice Isa by recollecting his judgments especially in the “Faizabad dharna” and “judges’ plot” cases.

He welcomed the appointment of Justice Ayesha A. Malik as first woman judge of the Supreme Court, however, expressed concern over violation of the seniority principle.

Buttar also questioned the very low strength of women judges in the Lahore High Court.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2022