SC rules Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023 null and void

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday declared the Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023 null and void in addition to declaring the applications against the act as admissible.


The verdict was announced unanimously by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ejazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar on Friday.

The SC verdict ruled that the Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023 was created by transgressing the powers and the act is in clash with the constitution.

“The Act has no legal status,” it added.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar took up multiple petitions challenging the law, enacted in late May for hearing.

A three-member bench of SC headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial reserved the verdict on June 10.

The detailed 87-page long order was issued on Friday striking down the Act as null and void and of no legal consequence.

It said the Act is “repugnant to and ultra vires the Constitution […] being beyond the legislative competence of the Parliament.”

Under Article 184 of the Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023, the affected party was given the right to appeal against the verdicts of the cases.

Ghulam Mohiuddin, Zaman Khan Vardak, the Jurists Foundation, through its CEO Riaz Hanif Rahi, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had challenged the vires of the act.

The larger bench was empowered to hear the review petitions pertaining to public welfare cases.

The federal government had objected to the SC bench by presenting the Review of Judgment Act in the Punjab elections case.