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RAWALPINDI: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said the courts could give guidelines to legislatures to amend laws, rules and regulations.

Addressing the lawyers’ community at the inauguration ceremony of the Judicial Complex here on Monday, the chief justice said there was no doubt that judges could not legislate but they could at least set such standards through their rational and research-based judgments to serve as guidelines for legislators for making necessary changes in outdated laws and regulations.

Justice Iftikhar said the judiciary was the ultimate protector of citizens’ rights and liberties. The judiciary was fully alert and responsive to people’s grievances and sufferings, he said, adding that the nation reposed confidence in the judiciary and it was the duty of judges and lawyers to act as a bulwark against constitutional excesses and arbitrariness in order to make Pakistan a welfare state.

He expressed the hope that the new judicial complex building would have far-reaching effects on the administration of justice by bringing all subordinate courts under one roof. Bar associations played a vital role in promoting and defending the rule of law, he added.

The chief justice said the Rawalpindi bar association was a flag-bearer in the historic movement launched by lawyers for the independence of judiciary and cause of justice in the country.

Speaking at the occasion, Justice Shakirullah Jan said the movement for the restoration of judiciary encouraged the judges of superior and subordinate judiciary and they started deciding cases in accordance with the law, and not according to the wishes of the rulers.

He said that as acting chief election commissioner he had strived to remove flaws from the electoral rolls and the new computerised rolls would be printed by July 25.

Justice Umer Ata Bandial pointed out that about 300 fake lawyers were listed on the LHC bar.

He said the lawyers’ associations should reconsider their policy about going on strikes which disrupted the court proceedings for an entire day and added to the misery of the litigants.