A day after its approval from the National Assembly, the Senate has passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 amid opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators.
The bill, which aims to limit the power of the Chief Justice of Pakistan for suo motu notice, received 60 votes in favour and 19 against, amid a chaotic scene in the Senate as PTI senators protested the decision.
The Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the bill which was passed with majority votes.
The bill proposed that an appeal shall lie within thirty days from an order of a bench of the Supreme Court who exercised jurisdiction under clause (3) of the Article 184 of the Constitution to a larger bench of the Supreme Court and such appeal shall, for hearing, be fixed within a period not exceeding fourteen days.
According to the bill, the right of appeal under sub-section (1) shall also be available to an aggrieved person against whom an order has been made under clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution, prior to the commencement of this Act provided that the appeal under this subsection shall be filed within thirty days of the commencement of this Act.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the bill would also ensure the right of the free trail and due process of Law as enshrined under Article 10A of the Constitution.
The National Assembly has already passed Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 on Wednesday.
According to Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, it was the longstanding demand of the bar councils and its associations that had supported the bill which aimed to ensure transparent proceedings in the apex court, he remarked.
