Statement of H. Thomas Wells Jr., President, American Bar Association Re: Anticipated Reinstatement of Pakistani Judges

"CHICAGO, March 19, 2009 – The American Bar Association welcomes the anticipated reinstatement by Pakistan of judges formerly barred from their posts. For more than two years the ABA has urged the government of Pakistan to restore the judiciary to its rightful role in a fair and free society. This reinstatement is heartening to all who believe in the importance of the rule of law to the functioning of a nation. An independent judiciary is every nation's strongest protector of justice, and justice is the strongest root of effective government."