Judicial Reforms Bill Case: SC issues notices to president, PM and Pakistan Bar Council

The Supreme Court’s eight-member larger bench on Thursday issued notices to President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistan Bar Council in the judicial reforms bill case.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial while hearing the applications against Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, remarked that several questions have been raised about the independence of the judiciary.

“We have the utmost respect for the parliament. We will review in this case whether any violation has been done in the proposed legislation,” he observed.

The eight-member larger bench includes Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ejazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 was challenged in the SC. The petitioner contended that only the SC had the power to formulate the rules. An application was also filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), demanding that the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 should be nullified.

On Monday, the joint sitting of parliament passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 amid protest by the PTI lawmakers. President Dr Arif Alvi returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 for reconsideration to the parliament as per the provisions of Article 75 of the constitution.