Khyber News

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Monday rejected the federal government’s request for a full court to hear petitions against the recently Contempt of court Law 2012.

A five-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jilani heard the petitions against the new law.

Abdul Shakoor Paracha represented the federal government.

Counsel for the government, Paracha requested that the case be heard by the full court and sought two weeks for preparing response to the 26 petitions against the contempt law.

Responding to Paracha’s request, Chief Justice Iftikhar said that the court had already given ample time to the federation adding that the issue was significant and a decision over it was important.

Moreover, Attorney General Irfan Qadir also requested the court for a period of two weeks. He said that a case such as the one against the contempt of court law had not been heard in the country’s history.

Upon which, Justice Iftikhar said that a case of a similar nature had been heard in the court, adding that, the case was heard in 1996 by a four-judge bench headed by Justice Ajmal Mian.

The attorney general read out the 1996 bench’s ruling and said that contempt of court laws have been evolving in several parts of the world.

Also during the hearing, counsel for petitioner Baz Muhammad Kakar argued that the judiciary’s independence was guaranteed in the preamble to the Constitution.

Upon which, Justice Jilani said that contempt of court laws were an extension of the concept of rule of law.

He moreover said that as long as systems of justice prevailed, laws pertaining to contempt of court would continue to exist.

The chief justice said that only constitutionally valid changes could be made in the law regarding contempt of court.

Subsequently, the court directed the petitioners to conclude their arguments by Tuesday and adjourned the hearing.