ISLAMABAD - The judiciary has to take decisions even against the government in order to meet the ends of justice, said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while addressing a Full Court Reference held on the occasion of Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmeds retirement. Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq and Supreme Court Bar Association President Asma Jahangir also spoke on the occasion and paid tributes to the outgoing judge. The chief justice said the judiciary was a unifying and integrating force in the country. As an important pillar of any democracy governed by the rule of law, the judiciary stands at a higher pedestal to be the arbiter in resolving inter-governmental disputes besides the ones amongst citizens or between citizens and the government. However, the law reins supreme over all the organs - judiciary, legislature and executive, he said. He said the principle of trichotomy of powers as enunciated in various provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan postulates that every organ of the state exercises powers within its jurisdictional domain. The legislature and the executive have to work hand in hand with the judiciary for achieving the objectives of fair dispensation of justice and establishment of the rule of law. Democracy prevails where all the institutions and functionaries of the state strictly adhere to constitutional norms because the excessive and unauthorised exercise of power beyond the allotted sphere by any organ brings chaos and anarchy in the society, said the CJP. He said the independence of judicial system in a democratic state is possible only when the judges perform their duties fairly, impartially and fearlessly. It helps in strengthening national bond and unity, he said. Today the judiciary is doing its best to bring peace and tranquility in the society by redressing the grievances of the public timely and within the constitutional domain, the CJ said. He said SC being at the apex of the well-ordered judicial structure and as sentinel of the rights of citizens had time and again laid down guidelines through its verdicts, national judicial moots and policies for securing free and impartiality of the judicial institution. He said today the judges could not live in 'ivory towers. They had to apprise themselves of the apathies of the litigant public, to examine the facts carefully, to acquaint themselves with the developments in the contemporary legal systems and social set-up and then to decide cases by pointing out loopholes and lacunas in the law. SCBA President Asma Jahangir said like other institutions of the state, the professional standard of the bench and the bar had also declined. She said there was grave concern over some judgments which were often discussed at the bar and feared that these might set some troublesome precedents. Asma said no doubt there was shortage of judges in the high courts which needed to be urgently addressed, but there was also dismay at the level of competence and scarcity of judicious values. Quoting a decided case of one of the high courts, she said: An individual was dismissed from service and the honourable HC prohibited that he be employed in any successor organisation. In addition, the honourable court ruled that no employee of Quetta Development Authority should meet the dismissed officer and if anyone did so disciplinary action will be initiated against him. The SCBA chief said there was need to institutionalise legal aid. It will expand opportunities for lawyers seeking exposure while giving much needed access to the litigants who were unable to afford the luxury of litigation. She pointed out that the lawyers activities were tied to case management by the courts. A number of cases were routinely adjourned as the roaster was discharged, often after several hours of waiting, she added. Urgent applications are kept pending for days and weeks, which is particularly a cause of perpetual anguish for outstation legal counsels. She sought the CJPs indulgence for setting up a consistent method for fixation of cases so that they could work according to a more predictable timetable. The chief justice assured Asma Jahangir of his full cooperation in resolving all the issues that she raised. Justice Raja Fayyaz, who has retired on Tuesday, thanked the chief justice and honourable judges for paying him tributes. He said the judiciary faced many hardships when even the norms of humanity were blatantly flouted let go alone the constitution. He said the judiciary with the help of undaunted legal fraternity and countrymen was able to carve a niche in the temple of its equivocal history.