September 15, 2022
Staff Report
LAHORE
Responding to the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s remarks, Supreme Court Bar Association president Ahsan Bhoon said the bar had requested the apex court for full court hearing in the Punjab chief minister case to protect the judiciary’s esteem and image among the public at large.
“There were questions being raised on social media over specific benches hearing important cases,” he said while addressing the distribution ceremony of plot allotment letters among SCBA members on September 14. “We respect all the judges but if the public at large questions why three judges were hearing the case then the bar thought that the public should have confidence in the entire 17 judges,” he said. Bhoon said the bar was called out for seeking to restore judiciary’s esteem and image among the people.
Bhoon said the bar would not respond to the remarks made by the CJP who was an ‘elder of the lawyers’ community’. The bar always tried to keep its relationship with the bench conducive but sometimes the bar was called out as partisan, he said. “However, history had later proven the import of the then bar’s stance towards the judicial system,” he added.
Ahsan Bhoon said the SCBA would continue to call for upholding merit along with the seniority principle in judicial appointments.
Speaking in the same function, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar urged those in power that considering the traditional role of the superior judiciary, they should endeavour to maintain a congenial environment between the conventional role of the bench and the bar.
The law minister said the bar had always played a constructive role in promoting democratic values, maintaining impartiality and transparency of the bench, independence of the judiciary and betterment of the justice system in the country.
“Whenever the bar had expressed its concern over some aspect of the judiciary, it did so for the betterment of the courts, independence of judiciary and for the supremacy of law,” Law Minister Azam Tarar said.
The minister said he would request that the Chief Justice of Pakistan, being head of the judiciary, has the responsibility of taking along everybody for the continuation of the traditional conducive relationship between the bar and the bench.
Azam Tarar said the government, the Attorney General and the ministry of law and justice was ready to play their role and extend their cooperation in this regard. “If the bar and the bench are on the same page only then can dispensation of justice to the litigants be expedited,” he added.
The minister said the law for protection of lawyers would be presented in parliament in the coming months after consultation with bar councils were completed.