SUKKUR, Aug 25: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said the judiciary, which is striving to uphold the supremacy of Constitution, will welcome any positive input on the subject, be it from jurists, scholars or members of the bar.

The role of courts in good governance is gaining importance today, particularly with regard to the reformation of society and the evolution of an independent judiciary in the country.

Addressing the inaugural session of a conference organised by a chapter of Sindh High Court Bar Association here on Saturday, Chief Justice Chaudhry said the general decline in the quality of primary and secondary education had adversely affected the standard of legal education in the country.

The deterioration had not just affected the public-sector law colleges but also the private institutions, he said. The main reasons for the deterioration were resource constraints, lack of competent teachers, outdated syllabuses and the undue emphasis on rote learning.

Chief Justice Chaudhry was of the opinion that supervision of public-sector and private law schools should be entrusted to an independent and impartial body that would focus on the quality of the education imparted. Any law school not meeting the requisite standards should be stopped from functioning.

He said the judiciary was a pillar of state and was meant to dispense justice and resolve conflicts and disputes. To achieve these goals, all stakeholders should try to make it independent of the other institutions and authorities.

The Constitution, which guaranteed the fundamental rights of citizens, had assigned the task of enforcing the laws to the judiciary, he said. “This is vital for civilised rights and human existence.”

While performing its duties, the judiciary should consider restoration and maintenance of peace, security and tranquillity in society as its primary goal.

He said that in deciding the cases the courts undoubtedly adhered to the Constitution, thereby encouraging good governance and clean administration. “Indeed, the primary requirement of good governance is that all pillars of the state perform their role fully and effectively and do not interfere or interject in the domains of others,” he remarked. Chief Justice Chaudhry said the judges must have the capacity to withstand pressures and influences. “They can acquire that capacity only if, besides possessing moral strength and intellectual depth, they also receive good counsel of the bar.

“The judiciary cannot realise its lofty constitutional ideals unless backed up by a committed and professional bar. The bench and the bar are the two pillars on which the edifice of justice rests.”

He said that delivering justice was the responsibility of all the participants of a judicial system. “The judges, lawyers, law officers, litigants and investigating and prosecuting agencies, each one of them has a role to play to ensure that justice is dispensed in a timely and inexpensive manner, which at the same time is fair.”

The president of the Sukkur chapter of Sindh High Court Bar Association, Farooq Pirzada, also spoke on the occasion.