Supreme Court of Pakistan - History

Introduction

The Constitution of Pakistan was enacted in 1956 and provided for the creation of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Court superseded the Federal Court of Pakistan which had been created seven years earlier in 1949 following the nation’s independence in 1947. Initially, the principal seat of the Supreme Court was located in Lahore. The Court relocated to Islamabad on 31st December 1993.

This domain was home to the Court’s original website. The official site was later moved to its present domain (please see Resources for a link to the official site).

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation and is the final arbiter of cases arising under the law and Constitution. All other courts in the country are bound by its orders and precedent.

Composition

The Supreme Court is composed of sixteen Judges and one Chief Justice. The Constitution of Pakistan provides for the jurisdiction, powers, and functions of the Court as well as the qualifications for appointment. The Constitution also sets forth details regarding the mandatory retirement age of judges as well as the grounds and procedure for removal from office.

The Court is empowered, with the approval of the President, to implement rules governing the appointment of staff including the terms and conditions of employment. The Chief Justice is empowered to exercise the same scope of authority as provided to the President with regards to employees of the federal government.

Supreme Judicial Council

The President may submit references to the Supreme Judicial Council which then investigates such matters and reports on its findings. The President may order the removal of a Judge if the Council concludes that the Judge should be removed from office due to an incapability of performing the duties of office, or on account of misconduct.