Judicial shift without support
FOR decades, the Sindh High Court in Karachi exercised jurisdiction over civil suits involving high-value claims, with the exact monetary threshold — most recently set at over Rs6.5 crore (Rs65…
Judicial surrender
IN October 2023, when the Supreme Court struck down the military trials of civilians, the detailed judgement began with the following quote: “even amid the clash of arms, the laws…
26th Amendment and judicial balance
The British Empire spawned the three federations of Canada, Australia and India almost under similar laws enacted in 1867, 1901 and 1935 respectively. The Indian federation was partitioned in 1947…
Judicial reforms or executive control?
It is hardly a secret that the current political flux the country is in relates to the proposed constitutional amendment. The contours of the amendment are unclear but what can…
Vital judicial reforms
The Supreme Court, of course, has the responsibility of ensuring that our government never oversteps its proper bounds or violates the rights of individuals. But the Court must also recognize…
Judicial reforms
Why is Pakistan’s justice system perceived to be a ‘weak’ system? Why is it failing to safeguard the lives and property of citizens and protect contracts to boost the economy?…
Judicial powers
ARTICLE 184(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan provides a measure of last resort for citizens of Pakistan to move the highest court of law for the collective protection of their…
Crime of extra-judicial killing
Last Wednesday, this paper carried an editorial on staged encounters and lamented the fact that the “deaths of suspects in police shoot-outs are an acceptable part of routine life today”.…
Need for judicial reforms
Good governance requires strengthening the rule of law and ensuring access to affordable justice, especially to the poor who suffer harassment at the hands of public officials and are denied…
The deadly cost of choice
She cried out, “Nikkah kiya tha, zina nahi” (“We got married, we did not sin”) just moments before she and her husband were brutally murdered by her own family. Their…
