Court judgments should not be a source of resentment and strife: CJP

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed has stated that court judgments should not be a source of resentment and strife.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday, the chief justice said the country's courts are and will remain autonomous, and will make decisions freely.

Justice Ahmed remarked that a lawyer is considered the custodian of the law and must know the proper decorum for when they appear in court.

He said that it appears lawyers have "stopped studying".

The chief justice said it is the job of the lawyer to assist the judge and the lawyer must know how to conduct himself with the judge, the petitioner, and other lawyers.

Justice Ahmed said that attorneys and judges cannot and should not be rivals. Lawyers have done the real work of protecting the legal environment; they should not be enraged with one another, he said.

"Tensions between judges and lawyers are baffling," he remarked.

In addition, Justice Ahmed stated that it is incorrect to refer to any of the judiciary's rulings as a "trend," as the judiciary has no leanings.

He said that courts make choices based on facts.

"We will encourage criticism of court rulings," he added.

Parliament has adopted legislation governing the appointment of judges, whereby a five-member bench oversees the process, the chief justice noted.

The process involves the input of lawyers and also considers the opinion of other stakeholders, he added.