A full court, presided over by the newly-appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, is set to convene on Monday to address petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has published the final cause list on its official website, outlining the cases scheduled for proceedings on Monday. Following his appointment as the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Isa assembled the full court to deliberate on the petitions contesting the SC practice law.
The previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government had enacted the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, with the intention of limiting the chief justice’s authority to constitute benches and assign cases before him. The bill had received parliamentary approval.
However, the implementation of the bill was halted by an eight-judge bench, which included former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, in response to three petitions challenging its provisions.
The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, serves various objectives, including the delegation of suo motu notice-taking authority to a three-member committee comprising senior judges, including the chief justice. The bill aims to promote transparency in court proceedings and safeguard the right to appeal.
