LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar said on Saturday the judges have no power to decide cases as per their personal wishes or desires, as they have to strictly follow the law.

“We are committed to perform our duties and serve the nation and will not forgive ourselves if fail to deliver quality justice,”the chief justice said while addressing a symposium held in Punjab Judicial Academy on establishment of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres and Model Courts in the province.

Supreme Court’s senior puisne judge Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, sessions judges and representatives of the bars, police and prosecution department were also present.

CJP Nisar lauded the efforts of the LHC chief justice for successfully materialising pilot criminal justice project and ADR centres.

He said significant results in the criminal justice system without changing the law proved that swift and quality justice could be ensured even under the existing laws if there was interest and a desire to do so.

He said doing justice was not an easy task as judges had to deal with cases involving life and death of people. Therefore, he said, the judges must have a good knowledge of the laws and should make decisions that would be upheld by higher courts.

Justice Nisar said the judges had to meet the people’s expectations by delivering justice under the existing laws, however, efforts to reform the laws should be continued.

He said without lawyers’ cooperation the judiciary could not do anything and any change in laws required a thorough deliberation to eliminate the margin of any error.

Justice Khosa said the police department was the backbone of criminal justice system as its positive support could make the system work successfully. He further said mere early disposal of cases could not be called justice and the judges should deliver through quality decisions.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah said when he took the office he had two options; whether to keep moving with the existing system or to bring improvements in it to facilitate litigants in getting justice by doing some hard work. “So, I followed the second (option),” and introduced considerable reforms in the provincial judiciary. He said there was a need to change minds to adapt to the new system.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2017