On a significant Sunday, Justice Qazi Faez Isa took the prestigious mantle of Pakistan’s 29th Chief Justice. His inaugural action as Chief Justice involved the establishment of a full court to address legal challenges aimed at curbing the authority of the top judicial figure. This hearing is scheduled on Monday.
Soon after his oath taking ceremony – the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) appointed a serving District and Sessions Judge Okara Ms Jazeela Aslam as first ever woman registrar of the top court -She is author of ‘Guidelines on Writing Judgments’. Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad has been appointed as secretary to the CJP whereas Abdul Sadiq name has been notified as staff officer to the CJP.
The momentous oath-taking ceremony unfolded at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad, where President Dr Arif Alvi officiated the oath of office. Among the attendees were Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, accompanied by all justices of the top court.
Former Chief Justices Iftikhar Chaudhry and Tassaduq Jillani also attended the ceremony . The proceedings commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, a solemn prelude to the formalities that followed. As the resonant words of the Quran filled the air, the official notification of Justice Isa’s appointment resonated, marking the official beginning of his tenure as Chief Justice of Pakistan. In a poignant moment, President Dr. Arif Alvi administered the oath of office to Justice Isa, with his supportive spouse, Sarina Isa, steadfastly by his side.
Following his inauguration, Chief Justice Isa wasted no time in taking action. His inaugural move as the nation’s top judge was the formation of a full court, tasked with deliberating on a series of legal challenges directed at the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023. This contentious bill mandates the establishment of benches to address matters of constitutional significance by a committee composed of three senior judges from the court.
The hearing for these pleas is scheduled for 9 am tomorrow (Monday), and notices have already been dispatched to Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan.
The enforcement of the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, had previously been suspended on April 13 under the directive of an eight-judge apex court bench, presided over by the outgoing Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. At the time, Justice Bandial had emphasized the court’s profound respect for Parliament while also emphasizing the necessity to scrutinize whether any constitutional deviations, violations, or transgressions had occurred during the enactment of the SC (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023.
The petitioners had argued before the apex court that the entire process of conceptualizing, drafting, endorsing, and passing the SC (Practice and Procedure) Bill was tainted by malice. Consequently, they asserted that the bill should be declared void and devoid of legal authority.
Furthermore, they contended that the federal government is not empowered to formulate legislation that encroaches upon or regulates the functioning of the apex court or the powers vested in its judges, including the Chief Justice, under the Constitution.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa – An Introduction –
Justice Qazi Faez Isa is a distinguished jurist born on October 26, 1959, in Quetta, Pakistan. His family background is steeped in a rich history of involvement in the Pakistan Movement. His late father, Qazi Mohammad Isa, played a pivotal role in the movement and was a close associate of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Notably, Justice Isa’s father was the first individual from the province to obtain a Bar-at-Law degree and played a crucial role in establishing the All India Muslim League in Balochistan after his return from London. He also served as the sole member on the Central Working Committee of the All India Muslim League from Balochistan.
Justice Isa’s mother, Begum Saida Isa, was an active social worker who contributed her time and efforts on a voluntary basis to various charitable organizations, particularly those focused on education, children, and women’s health issues.
Justice Isa’s educational journey began in Quetta, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He then moved to Karachi, where he attended the Karachi Grammar School (KGS) to complete his ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels. Subsequently, he pursued a career in law and completed his Bar Professional Examination from the Inns of Court School of Law in London.
His legal career commenced when he enrolled as an Advocate of the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985, and later as an Advocate of the Supreme Court in March 1998. Over the course of more than 27 years, he practiced law before various High Courts in Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He was an active member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association, and held Life Membership status in the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
Justice Isa’s expertise and commitment to the law led to his frequent appointments by High Courts and the Supreme Court as an amicus curiae, where he provided valuable assistance in complex cases. Additionally, he gained experience in international arbitration.
On September 5, 2014, Justice Isa took the oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a position that marks the pinnacle of his distinguished legal career.
