Deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has said in the absence of an independent judiciary, a perfect constitution can be reduced to an irrelevant text.
In his speech to Fordham Law School on Rule of Law and independence of Judiciary, he said, “Constitutional guarantees have to be brought alive by the judiciary by upholding the morality and principles of law, and interpreting the text to make law the supreme and just ruler.
He said over the last one and half year the people saw that the judicature, as an institution, rejected an unconstitutional order backed by force; even when it meant putting at risk the rights and liberties of individual judges. If this trend of adhering to the principles, at the cost of personal liberty and livelihood, catches on, it will end an era in Pakistan’s chequered constitutional history that repeatedly saw subversion of the constitution, he said.
“This will require foresight, perseverance and a spirit of service and sacrifice. I am certain that Pakistan’s legal fraternity and the nation will rise up to this challenge”, the deposed CJP said.