Repeated Adjournments Amount to Injustice to the Public: FCCP
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCCP) has expressed dissatisfaction with a request for an adjournment by lawyers in a civil case, stating that the increasing number of cases and constant reliance on adjournments contribute to the growing backlog, which is unfair to the public.
During Thursday’s hearing, Advocate-on-Record (AOR) Riffaqat Hussain Shah informed the court that the counsel for the case was stranded due to floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Justice Amir Farooq questioned this claim, noting that while landslides might occur in KP, flooding was unlikely.
The justice observed a pattern where lawyers complain about cases not being decided while simultaneously seeking more time through adjournments, leading to an increasing number of pending cases. He stated:
"If this attitude continues, the backlog will grow, and this is injustice to the public."
The court imposed fines for adjournment requests, with a one-day adjournment granted under certain conditions, including a fine of Rs20,000. For longer adjournments, a fine of Rs200,000 was announced. Justice Amir Farooq noted that with rising inflation, court fines would also increase and encouraged lawyers to argue their cases themselves rather than relying on AORs, adding that the position of AORs might be reconsidered.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned for a short duration.
