Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday declared 2009 as 'Year of Justice' with a strong resolve to eradicate corruption from the courts for fair and quick dispensation of justice to the masses. The CJ expressed these views while addressing first round of National Judicial (PolicyMaking) Committee (NJPMC) at Supreme Court, here on Saturday.
A two-day meeting of the NJPMC was convened by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to prepare a strategy for quick disposal of cases and quick dispensation of justice to the litigants. The NJPMC was constituted under the National Judicial (PolicyMaking) Committee Ordinance No LXXI of 2002.
The composition of the committee is provided under Section 3 of the Ordinance according to which the Chief Justice of Pakistan is the Chairman and Chief Justices of the four provincial High Courts are its members. Whereas, the Secretary Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan is designated secretary of the committee.
Addressing the meeting, the CJ said since judiciary has been restored to its original position, justice must be extended at grass roots level. In order to achieve the goal, the CJ urged active co-operation of the members of bar as well. The Chairman desired that the Chief Justices of High Courts may prepare an appropriate action plan for eroding corruption and inefficiency amongst judicial officer/court staff.
The meeting was attended by Justice Haziqul Khairi, Chief Justice, Federal Shariat Court; Justice Tariq Pervez, Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court, Justice Amanullah Khan, Chief Justice, High Court of Balochistan, Quetta, Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Chief Justice, High Court of Sindh, Karachi and Dr Faqir Hussain, Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan/NJPMC.
The Chairman NJPMC has also called a special session of the committee with an objective to take into confidence the members of the bar for preparing action plan for eroding corruption and inefficiency from judiciary and formulating effective judicial policy for clearance of backlog and speedy disposal of cases.
Besides members, the meeting will be attended by the former justice Rana Bhagwandas, former judge Supreme Court, former justice Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal, former justice Javad S. Khawaja, Sardar Khan, senior advocate, Peshawar, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Attorney General of Pakistan, Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice.
The Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council, Vice Chairmen of the provincial Bar Councils and Presidents of the High Courts Bar Associations have also been invited to attend the meeting as observers.