Corruption: The lawyers way

He is asking bribes for judge

Often your lawyer would tell you that the judge is corrupt and would not decide your case in your favour until you pay him bribe. Then the lawyer would tell you that he has a connection with the judge. You will be required to pay the bribe to the lawyer or some friend of the lawyer. You will not have a one-to-one meeting with the judge. You will be given just the assurance. Often a money back guarantee is given. Since your lawyer can foresee the outcome of your case, he will keep the money in his account. If he looses the case, you get the money and if you win the case, he gets the money and the judge earns the bad name.

A person was offered such a deal. He met the judge on his own and discussed the case. The judge obtained Rs 3 million bribe from him on a Rawalpindi petrol pump and took out a small pocket sized Islamic book and took oath on the holy scripture that he would decide the case in their favour. The judge observed the oath.

He is asking gifts for the judge

The lawyer would tell his client that he is going to meet the judge in the evening or on the weekend and that he intends to take some gifts to his house. The lawyer also promises the client that the former would also discuss latter’s case there. The client is then taken to various shops. All those gifts ultimately ended up in lawyer’s house. A lawyer in Jhelum demanded a VCR for the judge. The client, who had recently returned from Saudia Arabia, provided the VCR within a suit case. The lawyer told the client that the judge not only liked the VCR but also took the suit case. Years later, the client visited the lawyer’s house and found that the VCR which was taken in the name of the judge was lying in lawyer’s TV trolley.

He is asking thousands of rupees for photocopies that are worth a few hundred.

I was conducting a case in anti-corruption court. My opponent lawyer told his client that he needs to present Indian case laws in the court as judge really likes to read Indian case laws. The lawyer asked his client to give his clerk Rs 30,000/- as the books have to be ordered from India and they would come via PIA flight. The ignorant client paid the fee. After the client was gone, the lawyer sent his clerk to the library with instructions to get the law photocopied.

He is asking for exuberant court fees again and again

Whenever a civil case is moved in the court. The law requires a certain amount of court fees. It depends on the value of the case property. The court fee never exceeds Rs 15000/- and it is always deposited in the government’s exchequer. There has been instances where lawyers charged Rs 70 or 80 thousands from ignorant female clients when the court fee was just Rs 15/-.

He has to buy books to prepare your case.

Some lawyers would tell their client that they need certain books to prepare your case. The bill demanded would usually be in thousands.