Categories Courts

Courts Must Exercise Discretion in Favour of Accused on Concurrent Sentences, SC Rules

ISLAMABAD –  The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that courts are empowered to direct that sentences for multiple convictions should run concurrently rather than consecutively. This decision, announced by a three-member bench, emphasizes that judicial discretion should ordinarily be exercised in favor of the accused, especially in case of a minor.
In a reported verdict, the bench, consisting of Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, delivered the verdict in the case of Noor Muhammad etc. v. The State (Jail Petitions Nos. 603/2017, 442/2019, 443/2019 & 444/2019). The case involved a petitioner who had been convicted in three separate cases and was sentenced to multiple prison terms, including life imprisonment.

After the High Court dismissed his appeals, he filed petitions with the apex court. In its analysis, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the principle established in Mst. Shahista Bibi’s case, which held that sentences of imprisonment or life imprisonment, whether from the same trial or separate trials, must run concurrently. The court highlighted that this principle is based on Section 397 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The ruling reasserts the judiciary’s duty to balance penal consequences with fairness, ensuring that punishment for multiple offenses doesn’t become disproportionately harsh. The court stressed that the power to order concurrent sentences under Section 397 CrPC should be used to benefit the accused unless there are exceptional circumstances that warrant otherwise.

Author

Khudayar Mohla, Managing Partner Mohla & Mohla, Founder of the Law Today Pakistan,

Managing Partner at Mohla & Mohla - Advocates and Legal Consultants, Islamabad, Founder of The Law Today Pakistan (TLTP) Newswire Service. Former President Press Association of Supreme Court of Pakistan with over two decades of coverage of defining judicial moments - including the dissolution and restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Asif Ali Zardari NAB cases, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani contempt proceedings, Panama Papers case against Mian Nawaz Sharif, matters involving Imran Khan, and the high treason trial of former Army Chief and President Pervez Musharraf. He now practises law and teaches Jurisprudence, International Law, Civil and Criminal Law. Can be reached at: mohla@lawtoday.com.pk

More From Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Lahore High Court, Justice Jawad Hassan, Christian Divorce Act 1869, Pakistan legal news, Shahroz Masih case, minority rights Pakistan, judicial separation Christian law, dissolution of marriage grounds, Section 22 desertion, Section 11 adultery co-respondent, Article 199 writ petition, Article 10-A fair trial, Article 20 religious freedom, Article 4 due process, Mianwali court verdict, substantial justice vs technicalities, irretrievable breakdown of marriage, Punjab Judicial Academy workshops, district judiciary sensitization, matrimonial relief for Christians, evidentiary rigor in divorce cases, legal journalism Pakistan., Khudayar Mohla

LHC Quashes Lower Court Orders on Christian Divorce, Remands the Matter for Re-Adjudication

RAWALPINDI: Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, sets aside concurrent findings…

Khudayar Mohla,Supreme Court of Pakistan, witness box seating, witness dignity Pakistan courts, Article 14 Constitution Pakistan dignity of man, fair trial Article 10A Pakistan, witness protection laws Pakistan, courtroom reforms Pakistan judiciary, Qanun e Shahadat witness examination, Supreme Court directives judiciary Pakistan, witness rights Pakistan courts

SC Directs Courts Nationwide to Provide Seating for Witnesses During Testimony

ISLAMABAD: Emphasizing that justice must be administered with humanity and respect for individual dignity, the…

Khudayar Mohla,Islamabad High Court, IHC, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Dr. Zeeshan Ashraf, IVY School of Law, IVY College of Management Sciences, Amicus Curiae, Haq Mehr, Dower Rights, Islamic Jurisprudence, Shariah Law, Limitation Act 1908, Article 104 Limitation Act, Article 227 Constitution of Pakistan, Women's Financial Rights, Widow Inheritance, West Pakistan Family Courts Act 1964, Surah An-Nisa, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, National Commission on the Status of Women, Matrimonial Financial Disputes, Pakistan Legal News, Legislative Reform.

IVY School of Law HoD’s Dr. Zeeshan Ashraf Convinces IHC to Overturn Dower Time-Bar

ISLAMABAD: In a precedent-setting 21-page judgment aimed at harmonizing statutory law with Islamic injunctions, the…