In a display of stern judicial action, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Qazi Faez Isa, took a decisive step on Thursday, imposing a Rs. 5,000 fine on a lawyer for squandering valuable court time and misguiding the Supreme Court during a property dispute case hearing.
Justice Isa, who assumed his role as Pakistan’s top judge just a week ago, presided over the case and promptly recognized that the petitioner’s legal representative was steering the proceedings off course. Instead of engaging with the pertinent documents, the lawyer was leading the court astray.
Expressing his displeasure, CJP Isa remarked that court time was a valuable resource and should not be squandered. Consequently, he ordered the lawyer to pay a fine of Rs. 5,000 and directed him to furnish a receipt confirming the deposit of the fine to a charitable organization.
Justice Isa recently garnered attention when he, along with his fellow judges, authorized the live broadcast of courtroom proceedings in a case relating to limiting the powers of the press. This marked a historic moment in Pakistan, as it was the first instance of a case hearing being live-streamed. Throughout the proceedings, CJP Isa emphasized the importance of not wasting the court’s time, emphasizing that it is the public who ultimately bears the cost.
