SC law case adjourned indefinitely
The Supreme Court has indefinitely postponed hearing on a petition filed against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, a law that seeks to limit the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).An eight-judge bench will continue hearing the case on Thursday. However, the case could not take place because Justice Shahid Waheed, a member of the panel, according to the court staff, was not well.
The larger bench was presided over by CJP Umar Ata Bandial, and comprised Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi besides Justice Shahid Waheed. On Thursday, a court employee informed Advocate General (AGP) Mansoor Awan and other lawyers that the CJP wanted to meet them in the conference room.
During the meeting, the AGP informed the Supreme Court judge that the government wanted to harmonize two laws relating to the Supreme Courts — the Supreme Court (Practices and Procedures) Act, 2023 and the Supreme Court Act (Review of Decisions and Orders), 2023 but has so far been unable to do so.
He said the budget sessions of parliament are underway and the government cannot introduce a law to harmonize the two laws now. He asked the CJP to list the case for hearing after the passage of the federal budget. that there is overlap between the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Rule, 2023 and the Supreme Court (Review of Decisions and Orders) Rule, 2023.
“The provisions relating to filing petitions for review and hiring of lawyers are similar in both the Acts,” the AGP said, adding that the scope of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 is broad as it includes provisions relating to and SC internal functions. “There is a need to resolve the question of which law they should rely on,” the AGP added.
