The Supreme Court Review of Judgements and Orders Bill 2023, which grants the right to appeal in suo motu instances, has been passed by President Dr. Arif Alvi.
As the Supreme Court of Pakistan resumed hearing on the case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the April 4 ruling regulating the holding of elections in Punjab, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan stated that the bill had been authorized by the president on Friday.
With the passage of the bill into law, Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and leader of the PML-N, and Jahangir Khan Tareen, a former PTI supporter, would have the opportunity to appeal his disqualification.
In July 2017, the Supreme Court removed Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister of Pakistan in a case brought by the “Panama Papers” revelations, which were related to suspected wrongdoing during his previous two years in power.
Tareen was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July 2018 for being dishonest in violation of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and Section 99 of the Representation of People Act (ROPA).
The Supreme Court Review of Judgements and Orders Bill 2023 was passed earlier this year by the National Assembly and Senate.
The law seeks to facilitate and strengthen the Supreme Court’s ability to review its own judgements and decisions.
During the Senate session, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar alluded to Article 188 of the constitution, stating that it empowers the Supreme Court to review any judgement pronounced or order made by it, subject to the provisions of any Act of Majlis-e-Shoora and any rules made by the Supreme Court. According to him, the most recent legislation is procedural in character.
He stated that the law was written in the spirit of Article 188 of the Constitution.