Contempt of Court

By Omar Nasib, M.D.

It was a heart-warming experience to listen to the tape recordings of the American Supreme Court proceedings. It was all too apparent that the judges were trying to uphold the constitution and appeared mindful of their limitations, realizing that their job was to interpret the constitution to the best of their ability. They also showed great respect for the local Florida State laws and tried their best not to exceed their limits.

In this context, I would like to refer to the Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision taken under our beloved Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on the matter of seniority in the appointment of Judges. Although the decision was probably in the best interest of the Judiciary, the court over-stepped its limits and clearly made an attempt to legislate.

I also wonder why President Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore are not held responsible for committing contempt of court on their utterances that they do not agree with the decision of the Supreme Court. I would like to pose this question to the constitutional experts who read Pakistan Link and hope to be enlightened by their views on this subject.