CJP forms full court for SC Practice and Procedure Act hearing

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Sunday constituted full court headed by him for hearing the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 on Monday (tomorrow), ARY News reported.

An eight-judge larger bench of the apex court headed by the former CJP Umar Ata Bandial, had suspended the enforcement of the Supreme Court (Practice & Procedure) Act, 2023 on April 13.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa who sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan today, has constituted bench for the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act hearing.

The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 — a bill that required the formation of benches on constitutional matters of public importance by a committee of three senior judges will be heard by a supreme court bench on Monday (tomorrow).

The legislation limits the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice and to constitute benches on his own. It gives the power of taking suo motu notice to a three-member committee comprising the chief justice and two senior most judges of the court.

The act also aims to have transparent proceedings in the apex court and includes the right to appeal.

The PDM government had on April 10 passed the bill in the joint session of parliament after President Arif Alvi had returned the bill.

Later, former law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the bill — which was aimed to curtail the chief justice’s powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity — became law on April 20.

An eight-member larger bench of the SC on April 13 ordered that even if the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 received the assent of the president, the bill would not be acted upon in any manner till further order.