Sindh High Court Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa points out the need to stop taking every issue up with the Supreme Court SC for the survival of the legal system in Pakistan. Speaking at a carnival in Islamabad, where he holds the office of the chairman at FJA Federal Judicial Academy, the CJP highlighted the need to enhance the responsibilities given to lower courts to reduce workload in higher courts.
CJP Isa raised concern over the current trend of filing almost every matter in the SC directly without first pursuing options in lower courts. He pointed out that this was an approach that had to change for the legal system to work adequately.
CJP Isa noted that the first stop of litigants was nowhere near the SC or high courts but at civil judges or judicial magistrates and urged to raise their status. He said that this would make their decisions more broadly accepted by their peers and superiors.
The CJP also appreciated the use of technology in the highest court particularly when it broadcasts proceedings live which according to him was an educational tool promoting transparency. He hoped that such programs would win the confidence of the people when they see how justice is meted out.
Venerating Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s endeavors of a specialist counsellor to the FJA, CJP Isa lauded the establishment for nurturing cooperation, coordination, and communion in Pakistan’s judicial structure. He highlighted the role of FJA in enhancing public confidence in the judiciary, fairness, and treating all lawyers with respect.
48,000 nationwide court staff were honored as essential workers in helping the judges. He urged provincial chief justices to ensure court staff are properly trained, copying the successful models that FJA had put in place at the federal level. In doing so, he emphasized the need for a well-trained and honorable workforce in order to improve the overall efficacy of the judicial system.
