ISLAMABAD: An eight-member bench of the Supreme Court will begin hearing tomorrow (Thursday) of three petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023.
The bench will be headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprises Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed.
The petitions will be heard at 11:30am on April 13, according to the supplementary cause list uploaded on the Supreme Court website.
The bill has also been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by lawyer Saeed Aftab in a separate plea.
The federal government got the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, passed in a joint session of parliament on Monday after President Arif Alvi returned it last week.
The president had returned the bill to parliament for reconsideration, citing Article 75 of the Constitution, and stating that it prima-facie travels beyond the competence of parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation.
During the much-anticipated sitting, the house approved an amendment to the SC bill, under which a judges’ committee meeting would be convened to devise rules and regulations regarding the suo motu matters. The amendment was proposed by PML-N lawmaker Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
As per the amendment, the chief justice of Pakistan or any other member of the committee can call the meeting until the rules and regulations are finalised.
Now the bill will be presented before the president once again for his assent. If the head of the state does not give his approval within 10 days, it would be deemed to have been given.
The bill
The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 aims to give the power of taking suo motu notice to a three-member committee comprising senior judges, including the chief justice. It also aims to have transparent proceedings in the apex court and includes the right to appeal.
Regarding the formation of benches, the bill states that every cause, matter or appeal before the apex court would be heard and disposed of by a bench constituted by a committee comprising the CJP and the two senior-most judges. It added that the decisions of the committee would be taken by a majority.
Regarding the apex court’s original jurisdiction, the bill said that any matter invoking the use of Article 184(3) would first be placed before the committee.
The bill says that if the committee is of the view that a question of public importance with reference to the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights conferred by Chapter I of Part II of the Constitution is involved, it shall constitute a bench comprising not less than three judges of the SC which may also include the members of the committee, for adjudication of the matter.
