Law Minister emphasizes CJP's responsibility to restore unity in top judiciary
On Tuesday, a six-member bench of the Supreme Court closed the case in which Justice Qazi Faez Isa ordered the shelving of all suo motu cases underway before the higher judiciary. The apex court had constituted the larger bench to review the decision of a special SC bench led by Justice Isa.
During the hearing, Justice Munib Akhtar noted that the suo motu case had become infructuous after an amendment in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) regulation. Consequently, the bench closed the suo motu proceedings, with Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the bench head, stating that a detailed order would be issued later regarding other facets of the matter.
On March 30, in a suo moto case regarding the grant of 20 marks to Hafiz-e-Quran while seeking admission in MBBS/BDS Degree under Regulation 9(9) of the MBBS and BDS (Admissions, House Job and Internship) Regulations, 2018, a three-member bench, headed by Justice Isa, issued a majority order of 2-1. The bench ordered the postponement of cases being heard under Article 184(3) of the Constitution till the amendments made in the Supreme Court Rules 1980 regarding the discretionary powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to form benches.
Subsequently, the SC Registrar Ishrat Ali issued a circular disregarding the order, causing controversy about whether an administrative order can overrule a judicial order. Justice Isa wrote a letter to the government, asking it to remove the registrar for further "damaging the reputation and integrity" of the top court. The federal government then withdrew Ali's services.
The law minister has emphasized that it is the CJP's responsibility to remove the perception that the top judiciary stands divided. In the interest of the judiciary and the country, the minister has appealed to the CJP to take steps to unite the judiciary.
No comments:
Post a Comment