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  "title": "Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023",
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  "text": "Page 1 of 3 \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n THE SUPREME COURT (PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE) \r\nACT, 2023 \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title and commencement \r\n2. Practice and Procedure of the Supreme Court \r\n2A.  Practice and procedure of Constitutional Benches  \r\n3. [Omitted] \r\n4. [Omitted] \r\n5. [Omitted] \r\n6. Right to appoint counsel of choice \r\n7. Application for fixation of urgent matters \r\n7A Hearing, etc. \r\n7B. Recording and transcript of proceedings \r\n8. Act to override other laws etc. \r\n  \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nPage 2 of 3 \r\n \r\nTHE SUPREME COURT (PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE) \r\nACT, 2023 \r\n \r\n \r\nACT No. XVII of 2023 \r\n[21st April, 2023] \r\nAN  \r\n \r\nACT \r\nto provide for certain practices and procedures of the Supreme Court \r\n1[WHEREAS Articles 191 2[**] of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan enables \r\nthe Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) to provide for the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court \r\n2[***];] \r\n It is hereby enacted as follows:__ \r\n1. Short title and commencement.__ (1) This Act shall be called the Supreme Court (Practice \r\nand Procedure) Act, 2023. \r\n1[(2) It shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from the \r\ndate of commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2024 (XXVI of 2024).] \r\n2[2. Practice and Procedure of the Supreme Court. __(1) Every cause, matter, petition, appeal \r\nor review application before the Supreme Court, shal1 be heard and disposed of by a Bench constituted \r\nby the Committee comprising the Chief Justice, the next senior most Judge in order of seniority and a \r\nJudge to be nominated by the Chief Justice: \r\n Provided that if a member for any reason is unable to attend meeting of the Committee, the \r\nChief Justice may nominate any other Judge of the Supreme Court as a member of the Committee.  \r\n(2) The decisions of the Committee shal1 be by majority.] \r\n1[2A. Practice and procedure of Constitutional Benches. __ (1) Where a question arises as to \r\nwhether a cause, matter, petition, appeal or review application falls within clause (3) of Article 191A \r\nof the Constitution and is to be heard and disposed of by a Constitutional Bench or another Bench of \r\nthe Supreme Cour t, the committee constituted under clause (4) of Article 191A of the Constitution \r\nshall, through a speaking order, determine the question and if it decides that a matter__  \r\n(a)  falls within clause (3) of Article 191A of the Constitution, assign it to a \r\nConstitutional Bench for hearing and disposal; or  \r\n(b)  does not fall within clause (3) of Article 191A of the Constitution, send it to the \r\nCommittee constituted under section 2 for disposal by another Bench. \r\n(2) The Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakista n shall provide the requisite administrative \r\nand secretarial support to the Constitutional Benches.  \r\n(3) Subject to the availability of Judges, Constitutional Benches shall comprise equal number \r\nof Judges from each Province.] \r\n1Subs. by Act No. XXXI of 2024, ss. 2-5. \r\n2Omitted and subs. by Act No. XXXVI of 2025, ss. 2-3 (w.e.f. 13-11-2025). \r\n \r\nPage 3 of 3 \r\n \r\n3. 1[* * * * * * *] \r\n4. 1[* * * * * * *] \r\n5. 2[* * * * * * *] \r\n6. Right to appoint counsel of choice.__ For filing a review application under Article 188 of \r\nthe Constitution, a party shall have the right to appoint counsel of its choice. \r\nExplanation: For the purpose of this section, ‘counsel’ shall mean an Advocate of the Supreme \r\nCourt. \r\n7. Application for fixation of urgent matters.__ An application pleading urgency or seeking \r\ninterim relief, filed in a cause, appeal or matter, shall be fixed for hearing within fourteen days from \r\nthe date of its filing. \r\n1[7A. Hearing, etc. __ Unless law requires a decision within a stipulated period, every cause, \r\nmatter or appeal in the Supreme Court shall be heard at its turn based on first in, first out, which is to \r\nsay, the cases filed first shall be heard first. \r\n7B. Recording and transcript of proceedings.__ Hearing of every cause, matter or appeal in \r\nthe Supreme Court shall be recorded and transcript thereof duly prepared. For the purposes of reliance \r\nthereon in any court proceedings, only a certified copy of the transcript against payment  of a fee \r\namounting to Rupees fifty per page shall be used.] \r\n8. Act to override other laws e tc.— The provisions of this Act shall have effect \r\nnotwithstanding anything contained in any other law, rules or regulations for the time being in force \r\nor judgment of any Court including the Supreme Court and a High Court. \r\n \r\n \r\n_______ \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n          RGN Dated 17-11-2025 \r\n \r\n1Omitted and ins. by Act No. XXXI of 2024, ss. 6 and 8. \r\n2Omitted by Act No. XXXVI of 2025, s. 4 (w.e.f. 13-11-2025).",
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