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Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Hearing of appeal by prime minister

3 judges refuse to sit in larger bench

* CJP says an additional judge and two ad hoc judges will be appointed in SC to complete 9-member bench

* Institutions should function within their jurisdiction

Staff Report

QUETTA: The chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, said on Tuesday that three out of the nine judges of a larger Supreme Court bench that is to take up an expected appeal of the prime minister in the contempt case have refused to be part of the bench.
The chief justice said the apex court will appoint an additional judge and two ad hoc judges in order to overcome the shortfall, saying a bench comprising nine judges will hold the hearing if the prime minister goes for an appeal against his conviction. He was addressing lawyers after inaugurating the Circuit Bench of the Balochistan High Court in Sibi. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Tariq Pervaiz, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Balochistan Bar Council President Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani and other lawyers were present on the occasion.
Justice Iftikhar said he did not want to disclose the names of the three judges who had expressed inability to hear the appeal. He stressed that institutions should function within their jurisdiction. The chief justice said people of Sibi, Nasirabad, Jafarabad, Dera Bugti, Bolan, Kohlu and Jhal Magsi would get justice at their doorsteps after the formation of the Sibi Circuit Bench. He said judiciary was making its utmost efforts to serve justice to the people of Balochistan.
Referring to the newly built building of the Circuit Bench, the chief justice said justice would not be served by constructing air-conditioned buildings, thus judges should ensure their presence in Sibi and serve the people. He said bench and bar are hands of judicial system. “I have always emphasised on better relation between bench and bar because an independent bar can set up an independent judicial system,” he noted.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

 

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