ISLAMABAD:(APP) A full court reference in honour of outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali was held here on Thursday, who will retire on December 31 after serving the apex court for more than a decade as judge as well as Chief Justice.
The reference was held in Court Room No 1 where all the judges of the apex court marked their attendance to bid farewell to the CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali.
The Attorney General for Pakistan, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council and President Supreme Court Bar Association also delivered speeches on this occasion.
Chief Justice said, "I take this moment to thank you all for attending this Full Court Reference. I address you today, as the time has come for me to lay down my robes after serving as a judge for almost twenty-one years.
Although two decades have passed, it seems like yesterday that I started my tenure."
Chief Justice Jamali said that "My brother judge, Justice Saqib Nisar, Chief Justice (designate), will lead the proud and cherished traditions of this Court. In him, we have an ascetic thinker of vision, dedicated to seeking the light of justice for all. His vision shall enlighten our jurisprudence."
Justice Saqib Nisar said Chief Justice Jamali is known for his unparalleled contribution and services to Pakistan and to the legal profession in Pakistan.
"Chief Justice Anwar Jamali has led the judiciary through many challenges and obstacles in his endeavors to deliver justice. The post of Chief Justice is one that entails stress, difficulties, and predicaments, but being a man of remarkable abilities, patience and credence he has sailed through the gales," he added.
He said the delay in expeditious disposal of cases is one of the very serious problems we face today and it results in public dissatisfaction and lack of confidence in our judicial system.
"It is a source of anxiety and indeed great concern for us. We believe that it is high time that appropriate positive steps be taken to overcome this situation. We believe that the causes and reasons must be clearly identified by involving all the stakeholders at all levels of the judicial hierarchy. We will need the help and support of the Bar which is an inseparable part of the judicial system. One of the solutions to this problem in civil litigation, used by other countries is to resort to Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)," he added.
He said this has proved to be a very effective mechanism in those countries, if ADR cannot straightaway be installed for every kind of litigation, it may be gradually introduced into the system by creating an arrangement where a certain category of commercial matters be resolved through ADR.
Likewise in the criminal justice system in order to provide effective and speedy justice it is expedient that the methods and mechanism of investigation must be improved by resorting to modern tools and techniques such as greater use of forensic science and DNA profiling, he added.