In a significant development, all Judges of the Sindh High Court will now be treated as part of the Constitutional Bench of the Court for the expeditious disposal of cases, as per recent directions issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
On 5th November 2024, a Divisional Bench comprising Hon’ble Chief Justice and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jawad Akbar Sarwana passed a crucial order in C.P. No. 5593 of 2024, stating that unless the Judicial Commission carves out Constitutional Benches, matters outlined in sub-clause (3) of Article 202A may not be fixed. The Bench’s directive was aimed at improving the handling of cases involving constitutional matters.
Following this, on 8th November 2024, a press release issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan confirmed that all the existing Judges of the Sindh High Court have been nominated as members of the Constitutional Benches. This move aims to address the growing backlog of constitutional cases by expediting their disposal before 24th November 2024.
In light of these developments, the Sindh High Court has submitted a formal request to clarify whether the Hon’ble Judges should continue to be treated as part of the Constitutional Benches for all matters, and whether cases should be fixed before these Benches until further orders are issued.
The High Court is also seeking further directions or orders, as may be deemed appropriate by the Hon’ble Chief Justice and other authorities overseeing the matter.
The decision to treat all Sindh High Court judges as part of the Constitutional Bench is a strategic move to tackle the large number of pending constitutional cases in the High Court. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the judiciary to improve the speed and efficiency of case hearings, particularly for cases with constitutional implications.
As the matter is under consideration, the legal community is awaiting the next steps. This decision is expected to streamline case management in the Sindh High Court and potentially serve as a model for other courts facing similar backlogs.
With this move, the Sindh High Court aims to deliver timely justice and reduce delays in handling critical constitutional matters.
