Khosa: Suo motu notices to be taken sparingly.

Islamabad -- Chief Justice-designate Justice Asif Saeed Khosa made it clear on Thursday that the apex court will rarely use suo motu powers. 'It will only be used when absolutely necessary.'

'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,' he said while speaking at the full court reference held for Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar at the Supreme Court here on Thursday.

'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 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 Supreme Court Rules or to suitably amend the provisions relating to review jurisdiction so as to enlarge its scope in such cases.'

'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.'

Justice Khosa said that he had been working alongside Justice Nisar for 20 years but will now have to part ways as per the law. He said that the...