Reports from local media on Friday reveal that the federal government plans to revise the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act once more.
According to ARY News, this amendment seeks to expand the committee responsible for constituting Supreme Court benches by increasing the number of judges involved. This proposed adjustment will likely be introduced to parliament on Tuesday.
Members of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) are expected to bring the amendment bill forward on Private Member’s Day. In preparation, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), PML-N, and MQM-P have reportedly been directed to attend the session.
Originally enacted in April 2023, the law grants the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and the two senior-most Supreme Court judges the authority to form benches and decide on suo motu cases, marking a shift from the previous system, where the CJP alone held this power. Additionally, the law extends the Supreme Court’s review jurisdiction, allowing appeals in suo motu judgments within a 30-day period.
In September, the government amended the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, through an ordinance, permitting the CJP to nominate any Supreme Court judge as the third committee member tasked with forming benches and scheduling cases.
Following this amendment, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah recently declined to participate in a special bench organized by the committee under the revised SC Practice and Procedure Act, 2023.
In his letter to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the senior puisne judge reiterated his previous concerns expressed in correspondence dated September 23.
