ISLAMABAD
\nChief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Monday observed that parliament\u2019s SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 was not an attempt to clip the top judge\u2019s rights by devolving the suo motu powers to a three-member committee.
\nThe new CJP passed the remarks during a full court hearing on the petitions challenging the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.
\nThe historic hearing, which was held almost throughout the day, has been adjourned till October 3.
\nThe hearing was seen as historic because, for the first time in the country\u2019s judicial history, the Supreme Court allowed live telecast of proceedings on the petitions challenging the contentious law seeking to regulate suo motu powers of the country\u2019s top judge.
\nDuring the hearing, CJP Isa said arguments in the case will begin afresh because the new bench has been formed.
\nThere were three applications to make a full court, which had been approved, CJP Isa observed.
\nAhead of the hearing today, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan submitted the federal government\u2019s response in the matter, requesting the court to reject the petitions against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act.
\n\u201cPetitions against acts of parliament are inadmissible. [Therefore,] the petitions against the Practice and Procedure Act should be dismissed,\u201d the response submitted by the government contended.
\nSources confirmed to Geo News that the decision was made in the full court meeting ahead of the proceedings.
\nTo this end, five cameras were installed in the courtroom number one. Four cameras were installed in the visitors\u2019 gallery and one was installed for the lawyers\u2019 rostrum in front of the judges\u2019 docks.
\nThe full court was constituted by newly-appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and includes 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.
\nPrior to this, a full court meeting was held to consider live broadcasting of today\u2019s proceedings and ponder over guidelines for effective hearing of cases. According to the sources, instructions for the live broadcast were issued yesterday (Sunday) \u2014 hours after Justice Isa took oath as the CJP.
\nUpon his arrival, CJP Isa \u2014 who reached the apex court in his personal car without protocol \u2014 said to the SC staff: \u201cPeople come to the Supreme Court to solve their problems. Treat visitors like guests.\u201d
\nHe further said that the doors to justice should be kept open.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Monday observed that parliament\u2019s SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 was not an attempt to clip the top judge\u2019s rights by devolving the suo motu powers to a three-member committee. The new CJP passed the remarks during a full court hearing on the petitions challenging the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":356765,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-356731","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n