Articles by Terence J Sigamony

Technology

SC Full Court unanimously approves updated Rules 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a Full Court meeting, on Friday unanimously updated the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, on the recommendation of the Judges’ Committee. After the objections raised by four senior judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi constituted the Judges’ Committee on September 8, 2025. The committee, which comprises Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, works under Rule 1(4) of Order I of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, for the removal of difficulties arising in giving effect to its provisions. Justice Yahya Afridi postponed the meeting and decided that the Committee would consider the suggestions from the judges. The Full Court extended sincere appreciation to each member of the Committee individually for undertaking such a massive task of meticulously reviewing the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, drafting the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, and addressing the suggestions thereon for the removal of difficulties. The updated Supreme Court Rules, 2025, are to improve service delivery and ensure inexpensive and expeditious administration of justice. The Full Court also unanimously approved the grant of the status of Senior Advocate Supreme Court to Muhammad Munir Paracha, Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan, in terms of Rule 5 of Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025. The 156th Full Court of the Supreme Court on September 8 unanimously decided to postpone the implementation of amendments to the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, as Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah, who resigned a day ago, and Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik did not attend the meeting. Before the September 8 meeting, they wrote a letter to CJP and said that unless the Full Court itself had expressly resolved to adopt circulation for this purpose, the Chief Justice alone could not unilaterally resort to it. “The present Rules; therefore, suffer from both substantive and procedural illegality,” said their letter. They had criticized the procedure, saying, “A Full Court at this stage is not only puzzling but fallacious in purpose. They pointed out that on 9th August 2025, the Rules were already notified as ‘approved’.” Yet, within three days after; i.e., 12th August 2025, the Chief Justice sought suggestions for amendment in the same Rules and has now convened the Full Court to discuss them. The four judges’ letter maintained that after notifying the Rules, the exercise reduces the Full Court to a cosmetic role. In effect, the meeting is being used to give a veneer of legitimacy to an otherwise invalid process. They also demanded that the constitutionally consistent and institutionally honest course would be to place the Rules, in their entirety, before the Full Court, permit genuine discussion and deliberation, and only thereafter seek formal approval. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025