Law Resources and Information

An important institution of the Pakistan federal government is the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. The Commission was formed in 1979 and has a total of thirteen members including the Chief Justice of Pakistan and one representative from each province.

The highest court of appeal in the nation of Pakistan is the Supreme Court. The Court is empowered to exercise original as well as appellate and advisory jurisdiction in legal matters and decisions handed down by the Court are binding on all other courts. The Supreme Court is the final authority in regards to the interpretation of the law.

The Court is governed by rules set forth in the Constitution of Pakistan (1973). The Constitution provides for many rules governing the conduct of the Court including the qualifications and method of appointing judges. The Judiciary branch operates independently from the Executive branch of government.

The Pakistan Supreme Court is charged with the task of preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitution of Pakistan. The Court is responsible for protecting and upholding the rights of citizens and protecting their freedoms.

The International Court of Justice plays an instrumental role in resolving legal disputes involving matters of international law. In addition to settling disputes between contentious states, the Court issues advisory opinions on matters of international law that are brought by specialized agencies and specific authorized organizations connected with the United Nations.

Matters involving legal issues between two or more States are generally brought in one of two ways. A State may bring a dispute before the Court against another State by means of unilateral application to the Court. A dispute may also be brought by two or more States jointly on the basis of a special agreement between the States.

There are many organizations that provide free legal reference materials on the internet and it is not possible to mention all of them. One such organization, Lawnix, contains many case briefs of legal decisions from courts in the United States, Great Britain, and other common law nations. There are also materials for law students available.