An eight-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by the chief justice, will take up three petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 amidst a boycott of court proceedings by the country’s top lawyers body in protest “against fixation of pleas in haste”.
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.
A late-night announcement, made by PBC Vice Chairman Haroonur Rashid and Executive Committee Vice Chairman Hassan Raza Pasha, said that the chief justice constituted the bench in haste for hearing the petitions.
They said that the lawyers’ community would boycott the court proceedings across the country on Thursday.
The bench will take up the petitions challenging the SC (Practice & Procedure) Bill, 2023, which were separately moved by Mohammad Shafay Munir on Tuesday, and Raja Amer Khan and Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain on Wednesday.
President Arif Alvi has already returned the bill once after it was passed by both houses of parliament, and it was again passed by a joint session of parliament.
The latest petitions argue that the concept, preparation, endorsement and passing of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 is an act tainted with mala fide. Therefore, they urge the SC to strike it down after declaring it to be without lawful authority and of no legal effect.
The federal government, law secretary as well as principal secretaries to the premier and president have been named as respondents in the case.
Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Siddiqui will represent petitioner Khan, Advocate Mohammad Azhar Siddique will appear on behalf of petitioner Hussain whereas Advocate Mohammad Hussain will represent petitioner Munir.
The petitioners requested the SC to suspend the bill during the pendency of the petition, with a directive for President Dr Arif Alvi not to assent bill so that it could not become an act of parliament. They contended that the federal government cannot frame any law that seeks to interfere or regulate with the functioning of the apex court or the powers exercised by it or its judges, including the CJP, under the Constitution.
CJP-led bench to take up pleas against judicial reforms bill today
