ISLAMABAD: The Senate's Standing Committee on Law and Justice Tuesday rejected the Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2016 introduced by the government asking for right of appeal in civil courts.
During the meeting held under the chairmanship of Javed Abbasi here at the Parliament House, the committee members recommended that the right of appeal against any order or decree passed by a civil judge should remain with the high courts.
The bill introduced in the Senate by the Law minister Zahid Hamid has sought giving pecuniary jurisdiction to district judge and additional district judge with respect to appeal.
The committee also discussed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 moved by Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan. The bill seeks three amendments in Article 209 of the Constitution relating to complaints against judges. It asks for making all complaints public, making decisions within 45 days of the complaint and provision of punishment in case of baseless and false complaints.
Mover of the bill Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan himself suggested to seek opinion of all the stakeholders including bar councils and bar associations before forming any decision on the bill.
Muzaffar Hussain Shah endorsed the suggestion and asked for inviting the legal fraternity in the next meeting.
The committee heard Director General UN Asim Iftikhar and Legal Adviser Ahmend Nazeer Warriach from the Foreign Office and Additional Draftsman Sheikh Sarfaraz from the Law Division on the bill introduced by Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja asking for a national commission for international law and commitments.
The bill was opposed by both ministries calling it a mere duplication of the existing mechanism of oversight of the treaties signed by Pakistan.
The chairman and members of the committee also opposed the bill terming it self-contradictory. The mover would submit his response to the objections after holding a public hearing.
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