LAHORE: Justice Ijaz Chaudhry took oath as the chief justice of the Lahore High Court on Thursday and started working after taking charge of his office.
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer administered the oath to the new chief justice at a ceremony held at the Governor's House. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, judges of the Lahore High Court and senior lawyers attended the ceremony.
Former LHC CJ Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, who retired on December 8 was also present. The new LHC CJ held his court and later retired to his chamber, where judges and senior lawyers thronged to congratulate him. The Executive Body of the Lahore Bar Association (LBA), which had been hitherto annoyed with the outgoing chief justice, also met Justice Ijaz to congratulate him on taking charge of office. The LBA delegation included President Sajid Bashir, Zulfiqar Mankey, Syeda Lubna Mahmood, Qasim Buttar, Shakeel Gondal and others.
The chief justice welcomed the delegation, telling the LBA members that the bar and bench had to work together to provide justice to aggrieved people. As a gesture of good will and renewing relations with the LBA, the chief justice ordered the withdrawal of all cases registered against advocates, filed after protests outside th former CJ's office.
The bar president and other members reciprocated the gesture, assuring the chief justice that such incidents would not be occur again. The CJ will be visiting the Lahore Bar on December 11 on an invitation by the Executive Body.
LHC CJ takes suo motu notice on first working day: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on his first working day on Thursday took suo motu notice of police torture of teachers and students and sought a detailed report in this regard from the Punjab Police inspector general until December 13.
The LHC CJ directed the IGP that the report be prepared by an officer not below the rank of a deputy inspector general and be complete with facts. Separately, the LHC CJ reshuffled LHC deputy registrars and private secretaries working with outgoing CJ Khawaja Sharif.
According to a notification issued by the LHC additional registrar, Riaz Hussain Shahid was removed from the post of deputy registrar (G&T) and posted as deputy registrar (protocol) and Deputy Registrar Pervaiz Khalid working as private secretary to the former CJ was made deputy registrar (G&T). Staff Report