International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Act, 2021

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THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (REVIEW 
AND RE-CONSIDERATION) ACT, 2021 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 ___________ 
  
1.         Short title and commencement 
2. High Court’s power to review and reconsider 
3.    Disposal of petitions for review and re-consideration 
4.    Removal of difficulties 
5.   Act to have overriding effect 
  
 

 
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THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (REVIEW 
AND RE-CONSIDERATION) ACT, 2021 
 
                    [1st December, 2021] 
 
ACT NO. XXIV OF 2021 
AN 
ACT 
to provide for the right of review and re-consideration in giving effect to the            judgement of the 
International Court of Justice 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the right of review and re- consideration to foreign 
nationals, in relation to orders and judgements of military courts; 
 
It is hereby enacted as follows: 
   1.  Short title and commencement. (1) This Act shall be called the  International Court  of 
Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Act, 2021. 
 
   (2) It shall extend to the whole of Pakistan. 
   (3) It shall come into force at once. 
  2.   High Court’s power to review and reconsider.(1) where, 
 
(a)    the International Court of Justice in relation to a foreign national passes an order in 
respect of rights under  Article 36 of the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations 
of 24 April, 1963; or 
 
(b)   a foreign national is aggrieved in respect of the rights available under  Article 36 of 
the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations of 24 April, 1963,  
 
 such foreign national, either himself or through his authorized representative, or through a consular officer 
of a mission of his country, or in default whereof, the  Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice in an 
appropriate case, may file a petition  before a High Court for review and re -consideration, in terms of 
section 3, with regard to an order of conviction or sentence of a military court operating under the Pakistan 
Army Act, 1952 (XXXIX of 1952): 
 
 Provided that any petition already filed or pending shall be treated as a  petition having  
been filed under this section. 
 
  Explanation.”High Court” means a High Court established under Article 175 of the 
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, within the limits of whose territorial jurisdiction a foreign 
national is confined.  
(2)  The petition for review and re-consideration may be filed within sixty days of 
 
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(a)  the commencement of this Act against the order of the military  court specified in sub-
section (1) existing prior to the       commencement of this Act; or 
 
(b) the order of the military court specified in sub-section (1), if such order has been delivered 
after the commencement of this Act. 
 
3.     Disposal of petitions for review and re-consideration.(1) In deciding a petition filed 
under section 2, the Court shall examine whether any prejudice has been caused to the foreign national in 
respect of his right of defence, right to evidence and principles of fair trial, due to denial of consular 
access  according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April, 1963. 
 
4.       Removal of difficulties.If any difficulty arises in giving effect to       any provisions of this 
Act, the President may make such orders as may appear to him to be necessary for the purpose of removing 
such difficulty. 
 
 5.   Act to have overriding effect.The provisions of this Act shall  have effect notwithstanding 
anything to the contrary contained in any other law for        the time being in force including the Pakistan Army 
Act, 1952 (XXXIX of 1952). 
 
 
 
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RGN Date: 15-12-2025