Broadcast Live
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court today decided to broadcast live the full court hearing of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.
The apex court decided this in a meeting of the full court held on Monday morning. The Pakistan Television will broadcast the live coverage of the full court hearing of the case.
Five cameras of the PTV have been installed in the Court No. 1 while Rostrum also setup for the Lawyers.
The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedures) Act 2023 is a legislation that limits the suo motu powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The full court of the SC consists of 15 judges. The newly-appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa formed the full court for this case.
The panel includes eminent judges such as Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed, and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
Before this development, a full court meeting was convened to deliberate on the live broadcasting of today’s proceedings and to formulate guidelines for the effective conduct of hearings. The instructions for live broadcasting were issued just hours after Justice Isa took his oath as the CJP.
Upon his arrival at the Supreme Court, CJP Isa conveyed to the SC staff: “People come to the Supreme Court seeking solutions to their problems. We should treat visitors like honored guests.”
He further emphasized the importance of keeping the doors to justice wide open.
Background of the Case: On April 13, an eight-member bench of the Supreme Court issued a stay order on the implementation of the law, which deals with the powers of the Chief Justice in matters of public interest.
During a previous hearing in June, discussions revolved around the similarities between the Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023, which relates to the right of appeal in suo motu cases, and the SC Practice and Procedure Act. Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan suggested that parliament could explore ways to harmonize the two laws. The then-CJP, while welcoming the proposal, stressed that the federal government should take the Supreme Court’s perspective into account when legislating on matters related to the judiciary.
The Law: The Act granted the power of initiating suo motu proceedings to a three-member committee comprising senior judges, including the Chief Justice. Additionally, it aimed to ensure transparency in proceedings before the apex court and included provisions for the right to appeal.
Concerning the formation of benches, the Act stipulated that every case, matter, or appeal before the apex court would be heard and adjudicated by a bench constituted by a committee composed of the CJP and the two most senior judges. It further specified that decisions of the committee would be made by a majority vote.
Regarding the exercise of the apex court’s original jurisdiction, the Act outlined that any matter invoking Article 184(3) would first be presented to the committee.
In cases requiring an interpretation of the Constitution, the Act provided that the committee would assemble a bench comprising no fewer than five judges of the apex court.
