There are two parts of the judiciary: the bench and the bar. The former’s main job is to dispense fair and impartial justice while the lawyers ha to argue their cases in the courts in order to help court arrive at a just conclusion. For this they charge a fee from their clients and are bound to be present on every date of hearing and discharge there professional duties. They ought to be more concerned about the interest of their clients. But after restoration of judiciary, the legal fraternity which struggled for its restoration seems to have gone off track.
They have forgotten that they fought for the rule of law. Instead, the young lawyers are neglectful of their real duties and perceive themselves to be a force of the judiciary every time there is some judicial crisis or a standoff between the government and judiciary.
Their behaviour with lower court judges, with police, prosecution and media men is most objectionable. Every time lawyers brawl with a judge, they take the law into their own hands, come out of the courts sloganeering, protesting against the presiding officer and demanding his transfer. A few days ago, such an incident occurred in Lahore.
The Bar declared a boycott of the courts across the country. On that day, around fifteen thousand cases were to be heard in Punjab Courts. In these cases, parties with their witnesses attended courts only to get another date. Such antics will only promote more corruption in the lower courts.
Can anyone realise the difficulties the people and common litigants due to such strikes? Because of the rowdysim of lawyers, people are losing confidence in the judiciary.
A pertinent question arises here: where should victims of members of the bar go to seek relief? The Honourable Chief Justice should give direction to the bars to avoid boycotting courts because there are other sophisticated ways of protests. This is ripe for suo moto notice, if ever anything was.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH
Islamabad
