A division bench of the Lahore High Court, on Thursday, issued notice to the advocate general of Punjab and a deputy attorney general, for assistance on an inter-court appeal (ICA) challenging the use of expressions like “My Lord or Your Lordship” to address judges of superior courts. The division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan issued a notice on an ICA filed by Malik Allah Yar Khan, advocate through the counsel AK Dogar.
The petitioner’s counsel had submitted that the expressions, My Lord or Your Lordship, were used to address judges of superior courts. He contended that it was an offense to address anybody as Lord because only God is the Lord and no one else.
He pointed out that a president’s order, promulgated in 1980 by then president of Pakistan, in pursuance of a meeting attended by chief justices of superior courts in June 1979, had suggested discontinuing the usage of expressions like “My Lord” in courts, replacing it with words like Sir, Jinab-e Wala or Janab-e-Aali for addressing judges.
He said that old habits die hard and the word is still in practice and no steps were taken for replacing it with better alternatives. The counsel mentioned that the issue was raised through a petition before an LHC single bench that had dismissed the petition. He pleaded the bench to set aside order of single bench and issue directions to restrain the use of expressions like My Lord or Your Lordship to address the judges.
AG’s help sought in ‘my lord’ case
