The National Assembly has passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure bill 2023 that cuts the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s powers to form benches and take suo motu notices. It has done this six months before a new top judge will be sworn in.
This is a significant move as Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial achieves superannuation and leaves the Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 16. Justice Qazi Faez Isa will be sworn in as chief justice of Pakistan on September 17.
Suo motu is a Latin term for “on its own motion” and means that the top judge could take up any case of their choice.
The bill was passed by a simple majority after the Pakistan People’s Party agreed to withdraw its proposed amendments or changes.
The bill had been introduced on Tuesday after being approved by the cabinet. It had been sent for further deliberation to a standing committee right after being tabled.
Answering a question in the assembly, Law Minister Azam Tarrar said that making changes such as those proposed in this bill do not require a constitutional amendment as Article 191 of the constitution gives the parliament the right to amend rules and procedures. He also added that the Supreme Court is operating under rules made in 1980 under the constitution.
Speaking before the bill was passed PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said termed the bill as a way to ‘set things right’ and even told the law minister that the bill’s measures were ‘too little too late’.