August 17, 2009

R E S O L U T I O N

Of

Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore.

The members of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) have noted with deep concern the speculative list that has appeared in a section of the press, regarding the names of those persons who are apparently proposed to be elevated as judges of the Lahore High Court. Several persons on this list appear to be previous appointees as judges or law officers who were recommended by the Dogar Court. Assuming without conceding that these persons are excellent professional lawyers, their very act of succumbing to the temptations extended by illegal holders of the highest offices in the High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, renders their credentials dubious and unacceptable. They have lost the respect of the members of the Bar. How can they dispense justice to the citizens when they could not do justice to themselves and their profession?

If the reports in the press are even partially correct, it creates the impression that the efforts of the Bar to usher in a new era of independent judiciary comprising of persons with known integrity and professional commitment have come to naught and the spirit of the lawyers' movement supported by the media and the citizens of Pakistan would appear to be frustrated. We respectfully urge those exalted personages who are to make the decisions regarding choice of suitable persons for the sacred offices for the administration of justice to take the representatives of the Bar into confidence. Nominees for elevation should be persons of known integrity who command the respect of the general body of lawyers and the public. We are sanguine that there are many persons who would meet the stringent criteria for the appointment of judges, who did not yield to any temptation during the dark period of unconstitutional judiciary initiated by Musharraf. His acts have been declared to be illegal and unconstitutional by the full bench of the Honourable Supreme Court.  It is well settled that when the foundation of a building goes the entire super structure falls. We are beginning the era of the rebirth of a strong and impartial judiciary. All those persons who bear stigma of previous era of iniquity should be excluded from any proposal for fresh appointments of a free and fair judiciary.

Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal                               Rai Muhammad Nawaz Kharal                                          President,                                                          Finance Secretary,