President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance 2024 into law on Friday. This is a big step toward making the court system more open and efficient. New rules are included in the ordinance that are meant to make the Supreme Court’s work easier. This is a big change in how cases will be treated from now on.
Important changes made
The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023 now has two important new sections added: 7A and 7B. These sections are meant to set clear rules for case hearings and make court operations more open.
Section 7A: Sorting cases by when they were filed
Section 7A changes the way the Supreme Court manages its business to “first in, first out.” It says that every case, issue, or appeal must be heard in the order it was filed, unless there is already a clear standard in place or the law says that a decision must be made within a certain amount of time. The goal of this move is to cut down on wait times and make sure that cases are treated more quickly. If a case is heard before its turn, the bench has to explain why in writing. This is another way that process fairness is protected.
Section 7B: The public can watch court proceedings
Section 7B is a big step toward making Supreme Court sessions easier for everyone to see. This part says that every meeting, case, and appeal has to be recorded, and the public has to be able to access the transcripts. This move toward openness will give the public a better chance to keep an eye on things and keep a thorough record of court decisions and debates, which will make the judicial process even more trustworthy.
Approval by the Federal Cabinet
The federal government agreed with the ordinance, according to a summary that the Ministry of Law and Justice sent earlier in the day. This ordinance’s quick approval shows that the government is serious about making the courts work better and making the whole process more simplified.
In conclusion
The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance 2024 changes the way the courts in Pakistan work by putting more emphasis on being open, efficient, and fair. The addition of sections 7A and 7B is expected to make case management much better and boost public trust in the legal system by making sure that procedures are open to everyone.
These changes are part of a larger effort by the government to bring Pakistan’s laws up to date so that the courts can keep up with changing social and legal issues.
