ABBOTTABAD: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim on Friday emphasised the need for upholding the Constitution and the law and said deviating from one’s oath was not a viable option.

Addressing the swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected members of the Abbottabad District Bar Association here, the chief justice said the people’s trust in the current judicial system had eroded, so reforms were required with the support and cooperation of lawyers.

He pointed out that the judiciary faced difficulties due to the new legislation.

Justice Ibrahim announced that the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Bench would begin hearing cases via video link for their speedy disposal. He also said significant judicial reforms were likely to be carried out in the next three months.

The chief justice highlighted the importance of lawyers in the judicial system.

He said around 400,000 cases were pending decisions by courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Justice Ibrahim called for training programmes for public prosecutors to reduce unnecessary cases.

He said more judges were being appointed to courts to clear the backlog of cases efficiently, with a focus on quality.

The chief justice announced the separation of criminal, civil, and family cases in the court to enhance the judges’ performance and provide relief to the people.

He urged judges and lawyers to work together, to the relief of litigants.

Justice Ibrahim said funds would be provided to the district bar. He administered oaths to president of the district bar association Atif Khan Jadoon and other newly-elected cabinet members.

The participants included Justice Ejaz Akbar, Justice Fahim Ali, the registrar of the Peshawar High Court, district and sessions judge Mohammad Shoaib Khan, the additional sessions judges, senior civil judges, and lawyers.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024