Cabinet approves Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance

In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal cabinet gave its approval on Friday to the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance 2024.

The cabinet approved the ordinance via circulation after the Ministry of Law sent the draft to the prime minister and the cabinet on Thursday night.

The ordinance mandates that the Supreme Court bench will prioritize cases based on fundamental human rights and issues of public importance. It also specifies that cases will be heard in their designated order, with any deviations requiring justification.

Additionally, the ordinance states, “Every case and appeal will be recorded, and its transcript made publicly accessible.”

Sources revealed that the ordinance grants additional powers to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), enabling the top judge to assign cases and nominate judges for committee positions if a member is unavailable.

As outlined in the existing Practice and Procedure Act, a three-member committee is responsible for forming court benches. Sources added that the law ministry prepared the amendment ordinance and forwarded it to the cabinet for final approval.

What is the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023?

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) introduced the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 in the final days of its tenure to regulate the powers of the chief justice.

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