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Islamabad, February 12, 2020 (PPI-OT):Hon’ble Mr. Justice Athar Minallah, Chief Justice, Islamabad High Court, lamented the falling standards of the Criminal Justice System in the country due to chronic problems and challenges. He expressed these view in the certificate awarding ceremony held at the conclusion of a one-week training course on “Exploring Concepts in Trial Procedures” for Additional District and Sessions Judges from all over Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir at the Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad, on Saturday in which he was invited as the Chief Guest.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Justice Athar Minallah, Hon’ble Chief Justice, Islamabad High Court said, “The Constitution gives high priority to expeditious justice and The Right to Free and Fair Trial, but unfortunately, the State has failed to provide timely and affordable justice to the people of Pakistan. The justice system of our country does not provide inexpensive and expeditious justice to the citizens as enshrined and guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Had the dispensation of speedy administration of justice been a priority for our respective governments, our justice system, in particular, the Criminal Justice System would not have remained in such a deplorable condition as we see, hear and experience.”
“The Establishment of Model Courts is a manifestation of failure of our Criminal Justice System. It is a clear acknowledgement that our Criminal Justice System is ineffective, inept and corrupt. We all are responsible for its failure. We must put our house in order to deliver the best in the face of immense problems and enormous challenges,” the Hon’ble Chief, IHC, observed.
He further stated, “We must fix the faulty justice system. We must reform our Criminal Justice System. All the organs of the State must ensure speedy justice. The Model Courts are not doing something extraordinary, but that which we all must and should have done. We all are accountable to the people of Pakistan, its Parliament and above all to the Lord of the Universe, who is our Creator, for our actions.”
He also enlightened and sensitized the participants about the basic rights of the accused which the Islamic criminal law has guaranteed them, saying, “It was Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) who provided and guaranteed them their basic rights some 1400 years ago. We must respect their basic rights,” the Chief Justice, IHC remarked.
Earlier, Mr. Hayat Ali Shah, Director General of the Academy, presented a brief overview of the training course. At the end, the Chief Guest distributed certificates among twenty eight Additional District and Sessions Judges from all over Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the ceremony.
For more information, contact:
Federal Judicial Academy
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Website: http://www.fja.gov.pk