TO become an additional district and sessions judge (a grade 20 post), there are two ways leading to the induction. The first one is to start the career as a civil judge, class III, then a long way to promotion as the senior civil judge and then as an AD SJ.

It takes about 12 to 16 years. The second way is comparatively shortcut and easy, that is the direct induction from amongst the advocates and prosecutors through a test.

These two ways share a formula of division at the ratio of 60:40 respectively. Say, if 10 seats of ADSJs fall vacant, then six senior civil judges would be promoted and four advocates with ten years legal practice would be selected through test but no civil judge even with 12 twelve years of service is allowed to sit in the examination.

This way sometimes the most talented and better qualified civil judges are left in the queue waiting for their turn. On the other hand, junior lawyers or three - time failed civil judge candidates, by taking a shortcut, become the bosses of civil judges. This is, of course, sheer injustice.

I know that abolition of the quota is not acceptable to lawyers in any way but I would like to request the Chief Justice of Pakistan to re - size the quota as 50/50. The lawyers’ quota may be increased by 10 per cent and this enhanced quota may be reserved for the most competent judicial officers as a ‘talent corridor’.

MIR MUNSIF Faisalabad