Islamabad: Supreme Court Judge Justice Jamal Mandokhail has said that they have taken an oath to protect the rights of the entire nation as enshrined in the Constitution. Delivering justice is the work of Allah, while judges merely make decisions.
While addressing a Labour Day Conference in Islamabad, Justice Jamal Mandokhail stated that it is often said judges do not speak but write; he had initially intended to read a written speech but chose instead to speak from the heart and according to the Constitution.
He emphasized that all human beings have equal rights as per the Constitution and that no one can be forced into labor. He reiterated that judges have taken an oath to protect the rights of the nation.
Justice Mandokhail questioned whether individuals are being just in their work and whether he, as a judge, is fulfilling his duties properly. “Only the titles differ — you are called a laborer, I am called a judge. There is no greatness in sitting on this position,” he said.
Speaking of his home province, he mentioned that mining is a major occupation there, and laborers work in those mines. He stressed that governments should formulate laws for these laborers and ensure everyone receives their constitutional rights — no laborer is anyone’s slave.
He affirmed that judges have taken an oath to protect the rights of the nation without yielding to any pressure, fear, or greed. “On behalf of myself and my fellow judges, I assure you that we will protect justice and rights. Let’s sit together and discuss any issue,” he said.
He added that he believes judges do not deliver justice — that is Allah’s domain — they only decide cases based on the documents before them. “I fear that I may unintentionally violate the oath I have taken,” he said.
Justice Mandokhail concluded by saying that if any party claims a right, his decision will still be based solely on the documents in front of him. He prayed that Allah grants him and his fellow judges the strength to uphold their oath.
During the same conference, Chairman of the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, also spoke. He said they are committed to protecting workers’ rights and that the core objective of NIRC is to keep the industrial sector running — if industry functions, the laborers’ homes will continue to be sustained.
He noted that he was appointed Chairman of NIRC in December 2024. Upon studying the law under this responsibility, he realized their role is to bring together laborers and employers. That is why they organized this conference, where both parties could sit together and talk — and today, they succeeded in bringing them to the same table.
