Supreme Court larger bench to hear contempt law case | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Supreme Court larger bench to hear contempt law case

By: Sohail Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a five-member larger bench to hear from Monday 18 identical petitions, challenging the new Contempt of Court Amended Act 2012.

The government recently enacted the contempt law under Section 248(1) of the Constitution, exempting all government office holders, including the prime minister and all other ministers, from court proceedings under contempt charges.The larger bench will be headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprises Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tasadduq Jilanee, Justice Jawad Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain.

The court has issued notices to the petitioners as well as respondents, including the federation, prime minister, Senate chairman, speaker National Assembly, law minister, attorney general and Cabinet Division.It is pertinent to mention here that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry last week held an initial hearing of the petitions at the SC Quetta Registry.

The News