Lahore High Court Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan chaired the full court meeting on Saturday and mulled over measures to deliver timely justice.
All the judges of the High Court participated in the full court meeting that took up several suggestions to dispose of cases pending with the Lahore High Court and district courts as soon as possible. In light of the suggestions, it was decided to formulate an integrated policy So that the pending cases could be reduced substantially.
To meet the shortfall of more than 700 judicial officers in the district courts of Punjab, the meeting decided to take up the matter of easy syllabus of the exams for the recruitment of civil judges and additional sessions judges with the committee concerned. By increasing the number of judicial officers, pending cases can be decided quickly. Special benches will be set up.
The system will be further improved to keep checks and balances in the district courts. The Inspection Judge of each district will visit the respective district and issue an immediate order to take concrete steps for redressing the grievance.
The judicial system will be improved by making ADR courts more functional so that citizens are attracted to the system and timely and consistent adjudication of disputes. In the full court session, it was also considered to allow the facility of discussion through video link on Lahore High Court, Lahore Principal Seat and Regional Benches.
In the district courts, the suggestions of providing a video link facility were also considered. In the full court session, the issue of different legal opinions in similar cases was also considered and it was decided that large benches would be constituted as soon as possible to examine the different opinions in the judgements of the High Court on various legal points and decide which The legal point is per the constitution and law.
The participants of the full court session expressed their concern over the locking courts and the lawyers' strikes and made it clear that such acts would not be tolerated under any circumstances. It was decided that lawbreakers would face the music.
It was also decided that lawyers' organizations would be met and apprised of the aforesaid decision of the Full Court so that the culture of strikes and lock-outs in the courts could be completely eradicated.
The full court expressed the expectation from the lawyers' organizations across the province that all the lawyers' organizations will fully cooperate in ending the court lockout and strike culture.