I wonder what Mushrraf will be named…maybe dictator of the year?
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\12\14\story_14-12-2007_pg7_14
US journal names former CJP lawyer of the year
- Says Iftikhar has become an int’l symbol for independent
judiciary, resistance to army rule
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: The US-based National Law Journal has named deposed Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry its lawyer of the year, Reportpress.com reported.
Chaudhry is not a household name to the legal profession in the US, but we think he should be, said the journal according to Reportp-ress.com. He has become an international symbol of an independent judiciary and resistance to the excesses of military rule, it said.
The journal usually selects from within the American legal community. The rare instance of a judge taking such a bold and influential stand against a government in defence of judicial independence and the rule of law prompted the departure this year.
Chaudhry’s example reminds us that no government or person — whether ally or enemy — is above the law, Reportpress.com said.
The Harvard Law School Association recently awarded Chaudhry its highest medal, the Medal of Freedom. “We at Harvard Law School want chief justice Chaudhry and the courageous lawyers in Pakistan to know we stand with them in solidarity,” said Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan.
“We are proud to be their colleagues in the cause of justice, and we will do all we can to press for the prompt restoration of constitutionalism and legality in Pakistan.”
The American Bar Association (ABA) spoke out against Chaudhry’s suspension earlier this year. And recently, lawyers across the US have rallied in Chaudry’s support.
ABA President William Neukom on December 4 asked US lawyers to sign a petition asking Musharraf to restore the constitution, reinstate Chaudhry and other justices and free jailed lawyers and civil leaders.
Terming the arrests “a profound breach of the rule of law,” Neukom said, “The suspension of Pakistan’s institutions of justice is a threat to the rule of law in all nations. We, the lawyers of America, stand with you.”