Senate passes bill to limit CJP powers amid opposition protest.

The Senate on Thursday 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 had been approved by the federal cabinet on March 28 and a day ago, the National Assembly passed it as well after a few amendments suggested by the Standing Committee on Law and Justice hours earlier.

The amendments proposed in the Supreme Court's rules have sparked a fresh debate in legal and political circles and it is expecAted that the bill may be struck down by the apex court.

As the bill was moved by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar in the Senate today, strong opposition from the PTI members was seen as they raised banners reading 'attack on judiciary unacceptable'.

After the bill was passed, the session was adjourned till 10:30am on Friday (tomorrow). Later in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani sent the bill to President Arif Alvi for his assent.

Procedurally, after bills are passed by the joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate, they are presented to the president for his assent. If the president does not give his approval within 10 days, it will be deemed to have been given.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the passage of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, will institutionally strengthen the apex court.

'It will help make the process of bench formation and exercise of Article 184 (3) transparent and inclusive, thus serving the cause of justice,' he tweeted.

SC became dependent on one individual: Tarar

Moving the bill in the Senate today, Tarar said, 'As time passes, to run institutions, you have to go through various periods [and] face various conducts.

'Law never stands still. You have to keep a margin for changes in the law so that the law can function according to the needs of the people in the present age,' he added.

The law minister said, 'A new trend was seen in the Supreme Court in the past two decades - instead of running the court through collective thinking, the court became dependent on an individual.'

Tarar argued it was the opinion of various stakeholders in the country - including 'bar councils, bar associations, parliament, civil society, business sector and government officials' - that an order of 'trichotomy of power' has been devised in the Constitution.

According to it, 'legislation is the work of the appointed, judicial...