A meeting of Supreme Court’s (SC) full court has been summoned by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa today. This will be the top judge’s first full court meeting after he took charge on January 17.
The chief justice has also summoned a meeting of all inspector generals of police (IGPs) on February 11 to discuss the implementation of Police Reforms Committee (PRC) report for improving the criminal justice system.
The agenda of the full court meeting is unconfirmed but it is significant in the backdrop of judicial reforms announced by the chief justice in his first speech in January. CJP Khosa had said that either through a full court meeting or through a judicial exercise, an effort shall be made to determine and lay down the scope and parameters of the exercise of the original jurisdiction of this court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. And, if deemed appropriate, to carve out the scope of an Intra-Court Appeal in such matters through an appropriate amendment of the SC Rules or to suitably amend the provisions relating to review jurisdiction so as to enlarge its scope in such cases, he said.
“I am conscious that the issues being faced by the justice sector are gigantic but I may assure you that no stone shall be left unturned in attending to such issues and in trying to improve the situation. With Baloch blood running in my veins I shall fight till the end and I am confident that with the support and cooperation of my colleagues and the bar the struggle shall bear fruit,” he added.
The CJP had said that suo motu exercise of this court’s jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of the Constitution shall be exercised very sparingly and only in respect of larger issues of national importance where either there is no other adequate or efficacious remedy available or the available constitutional or legal remedies are ineffective or are rendered incapacitated. Unlike his predecessor Justice (r) Mian Saqib Nisar, the incumbent CJP has neither entertained any constitution petition nor taken any suo motu notice so far.