SC forms larger bench to hear petitions against contempt law

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Friday constituted a five-member larger bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan for the hearing of constitutional petitions challenging the new law ‘Contempt of Court Amended Act-2012’, Geo News reported.

Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tasadduque Jilanee, Justice Jawad Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif are included among the other members of the five-member larger bench.

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry last week had held an initial hearing of the petitions, when he was away at the SC Quetta Registry regarding Balochistan law and order case.

The court had issued notices to the petitioners’ named respondents—the federation, prime minister, senate chairman, speaker national assembly, law minister, attorney general and cabinet division, while a decision to hold further hearing on July 23 in Islamabad was made.

It may be recalled that eighteen different constitutional petitions have been filed against this new law.