ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice has agreed to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court to address the highest number of pending cases in the country’s judicial history.
The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice was chaired by Chairman Farooq H Naik and attended by its members in Parliament.
Seeking details of pending cases in the higher judiciary, Farooq H Naik stated that the decision on the number of Supreme Court judges will depend on the information provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Law Minister mentioned that the registrar’s office will furnish the case details.
Chairman Naik highlighted that despite an increased caseload, the Supreme Court currently operates with 17 judges.
Anusha Rehman noted that the bill has been pending since January 2023, emphasizing the need to determine the appropriate number of judges for the Supreme Court. The Federal Law Minister suggested that 24 judges might be required.
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The minister further pointed out disparities in caseloads between judges across different courts, citing suggestions from Bar Councils that cases under Article 184-3 should be heard exclusively by the five most senior judges.
The committee decided to postpone further consideration of the bill until the next session.
In April, a report stated that the backlog of pending cases in the Supreme Court of Pakistan has soared to over 57,000, marking the highest level in the country’s judicial history.
