LAHORE: Half of the junior prosecutors in Punjab have applied for the posts of civil judges for a better career and wages, firing a torpedo in the base of the provincial prosecution department being pressed hard to have the ordinary criminals and terrorists convicted under the National Action Plan necessitated by the Peshawar Army School tragedy.

There are 600 assistant district public prosecutors (ADPPs) and 150 deputy district public prosecutors (DDPs) in the province. And 300 of them, including over 95 per cent ADPs, have applied for civil judge posts announced by the Punjab Public Service Commission, say sources on Sunday.

As many as 100 prosecutors of these ranks had become civil judges last year after qualifying for the post, creating a severe shortage of manpower in one of the most important tier of the criminal justice system.

For better salaries, perks and career growth

The department had got appointed 108 prosecutors afterwards through the PPSC and they are reportedly still to join the duty. “The department will go bankrupt if the new applicants are selected as civil judges,” a source said.

Selecting law graduates meeting the required criteria as ADPPs and DDPPs is not an easy task. Those selected for the jobs are considered ‘combat-ready’ only after a rigorous training. Still they leave their jobs for a simple reason -- better salaries and career growth.

The ADPPs get Rs40,000 per month and their promotion ladder has just two steps. The lucky ones have a chance to get promoted as DDPPs or the district public prosecutors (DPPs). Beyond that there is no promotion avenue. Almost all prosecutors in these ranks do not even have transport facility and offices.

In contrast, a civil judge gets an initial monthly salary of Rs80,000. After the completion of the probation period the judges are automatically promoted to BS-18. The next higher post of senior civil Judge is in BS-19, of additional district and sessions Judge in BS-20 and district and sessions Judge in BS-21. And there are ample chances of elevation to high court.

The Hamoodur Rehman Law Commission Report 1970 recommends equal salaries for the prosecutors and the presiding officers (judges).

“But since this has never been implemented, we face regular flight of prosecutors who are hard to get. Imagine what the government would have at its disposal if the 300 applicants are selected. We are losing them because of little salary and bleak career prospects,” a senior official regretted.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play