Bill passed to curb top judge’s suo moto powers
Pakistan's National Assembly yesterday passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure), Bill 2023, which aims to deprive the office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) of powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity. The bill, presented by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, was passed hours after the Standing Committee on Law and Justice approved the cabinet's proposed amendments. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing the law minister, termed the initiative "too little and too late", and said that it should be called a "judges empowerment" bill. When Tarar spoke, he said, "It is being said that a constitutional amendment should be made. I want them to know there is no need for a constitutional amendment. They should go and read Article 191 of the Constitution, which empowers the Assembly to legislate. The Supreme Court also made their rules according to the Constitution and law since 1980 and it is written on the preamble as well."
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