ISLAMABAD, Sep 13(ABC):The New Judicial Year began on Monday with a full court meeting here at the Supreme Court building. The ceremony was presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and was attended by the Judges, law officers and members of the legal fraternity.
The ceremony was held on the eve of the start of the new judicial year, to take stock of performance of the past year and to formulate future policies, accordingly, not only for advancement of justice but also for protection of the fundamental rights of the people.
The program consisted of speeches by the Attorney General of Pakistan, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council and President, Supreme Court Bar Association. Addressing the ceremony, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial informed that during the period from 2nd Feb, 2022 till 9th Sep, 2022 the court had decided 14,943 cases, minimizing the pending cases from 54,134 to 50, 265, accordingly.
He said that dispensation of swift and economic justice being a priority, the Federal Judicial Academy and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), under the guidance of this Court, were resorting to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which in time should reduce the pendency of cases in all tiers of courts by around 40 percent, in the next three years. He concluded with a solemn pledge regarding the court’s commitment to defend the Constitution in its entirety. Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali said that addressing the Judiciary Year ceremony was an honor.
He said that the number of pending cases had decreased for the first time in ten years as Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had solved the reasons for the delay in the decisions of the cases. He said that this court should entertain only those cases in which there was a substantial question of law. He said, “I pay tribute to the struggle of the bar for the independence of the judiciary.”
Vice Chairman PBC Hafeez Chaudhry said that the legal fraternity considered the Supreme Court’s decision as the best in the case of a no-confidence motion against the former ousted prime minister. He said that the PBC condemned the criticism of political parties on social media against the judgments of honorable judges and strict legal action should be taken against such elements. Acknowledging and following the decisions of the higher judiciary was the responsibility of all, including institutions.