Lawyers' strikes.

IT is unfortunate that it took this long for a judicial authority to take a stand against the suffering caused by lawyers' strikes. But better late than never, as they say. A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa has recently held that there should be some remedy for the distress caused to litigants whose case proceedings get prolonged and delayed because their lawyers fail to show up for scheduled hearings. Justice Isa reminded the lawyer community that they have a duty to appear in court when called and to make appropriate alternative arrangements when they are unable to. He conceded there may be certain extreme circumstances in which the legal community may be justified in boycotting court proceedings - for example, when the judicial system is operating in violation of the Constitution. However, Justice Isa asserted that for any lesser reason, the lawyer should at least return their fee if they cannot ensure their presence in court.

This much needed to be established, and, as pointed out earlier, it is...