ISLAMABAD: A committee of judges, established under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, has decided that civil and criminal cases will be scheduled based on a “first come, first served” principle.
According to media reports, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa chaired the meeting where this decision was made. The committee also resolved that petitions filed under Article 184(3) would be scheduled for court proceedings after a thorough review.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for January 4, 2024.
Simultaneously, the Supreme Court registrar issued a schedule detailing the availability of judges in Islamabad and branch registries during the winter vacation from December 18 to December 29.
In adherence to the committee’s directions under Section 2 of the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, the registrar/secretary provided the schedule of judges available at registries during the winter vacations.
The court roaster, approved during the 5th meeting of the committee, comprises CJP Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, and Justice Ijazul Ahsan. According to the roaster, a three-member bench will hear cases at the principal seat in Islamabad from December 18 to December 22, consisting of Justice Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, and Justice Athar Minallah.
Supreme Court Karachi Registry Hearings
In addition, at the Quetta Registry, a two-member bench with Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail will preside over cases, while at the Karachi Registry, a three-member bench with Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hassan Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan will conduct hearings.
From December 26 to December 29, Justice Masood will handle chamber work at the Islamabad Registry, and a two-member bench consisting of Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and Justice Musarat Hilali will hear cases at the Peshawar Registry.
Similarly, a three-member bench with Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi will address cases at the Karachi Registry.
The committee also decided to designate civil petitions for leave to appeal as CPLA and constitutional petitions under Article 184(3) as CP. The draft of Procedure Rules will be shared with all committee members for discussion in the next meeting scheduled for January 4, 2024.
