May 04, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1429

WASHINGTON, May 3: The American Bar Association, the largest group of lawyers in the United States, will honour Pakistani lawyers and judges for upholding the rule of law in Pakistan.

An ABA statement described the decision to give ‘Rule of Law Initiative’ award to Pakistan’s legal community as recognition of “the vivid bravery” of lawyers “who faced down baton-wielding police over threats to their country’s constitution.”

The award, the ABA said, would also recognise the sacrifices of the judges who were fired or quit their offices because they did not want to accept unconstitutional orders of a military ruler.

“These lawyers and judges demonstrated courage in upholding the rule of law in their country,” it said.

The award will be given in August at the ABA’s luncheon, part of its annual meeting in New York City. The honour has been given to an array of world leaders and defenders of the rule of law over its 14-year history, including Vaclav Havel while he was president of the Czech Republic, US Supreme Court Associate Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer, and the Committee of Voters of Ukraine.

Representatives from the Pakistani legal and judicial community will be invited to New York to accept the award on behalf of those lawyers and judges who had championed the rule of law.