Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the judiciary is one of the fundamental pillars of the Islamic Republic whose fine performance can improve people’s lives and help advance the country’s goals, while its possible poor performance can cause serious harm.
He made the remarks on Tuesday in a meeting with the chief and other authorities and officials of the judiciary, Leader.ir reported.
The Leader noted that the performance of the judiciary, like other organizations, should not be judged by statistics and quantities, but rather on the basis of the final outcome of its activities that reaches the people.
Citing experts’ views, he described the document on the transformation of the judiciary as an “important and thorough” scheme.
The valuable experiences of the judicial system in the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution should be used to realize such transformation, which means improving the strengths and eliminating weaknesses, the Leader said.
Making necessary organizational changes and possible shifts in orientations or management, proper funding with the help of the government and parliament, passing the required laws and completing and updating the document are essential for putting the transformation plan into operation, according to Ayatollah Khamenei.
Training efficient and expert workforce to replace the current officials is also a requirement for the development of the judiciary, he said.
The Leader later called for combating corruption both outside and inside the judicial system, saying the smallest wrongdoing should be punished as it can tarnish the reputation of the entire system.
“Eradicate corruption in the judiciary, however small it may be,” he said.
Outside the judicial system, other branches of power must seriously tackle the sources of corruption so that it does not have to reach the judiciary, the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei expounded another important duty of the judicial system, which is upholding the rights of the public.
“Preventing the spread of panic or disruption of people’s psychological security in the cyberspace or reality is an example of upholding public rights,” he said, adding it is a difficult task that the judiciary must carry out in a careful and organized manner.
Making sure that people are permitted their legitimate freedoms is also an important responsibility of the judiciary, according to the Leader.
“Based on the precise interpretation of the Constitution, people must be allowed all freedoms that the Sharia [religious law] has permitted,” he said.
It is a legal task of the judicial system to make plans and create effective mechanisms for the prevention of crime, the Leader said, stressing that such important work cannot bear fruit through individual measures and need comprehensive and long-term plans.
Ayatollah Khamenei later advised the judicial personnel to treat the clients politely and patiently, noting that rude and angry behavior can break people’s hearts even if their affairs are attended to.
The Leader finally criticized the poor public image of the judiciary as portrayed by the media, blaming it partly on the state broadcasting organization, but also on the system itself.
He called on the judiciary chief to hold meetings and sessions of discussion with different groups of people with proper media coverage, so as to inform the public about the system’s great works.
Before the Leader’s address, Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei presented a report of his organization’s successful activities and future plans.
