New judicial year begins in SC as CJ Bandial’s retirement approaches

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court is set to commence its new judicial year today, marking a significant moment just days before the retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial.

The inaugural ceremony, to be held in the Supreme Court’s Courtroom No 1, will witness the presence of all available judges of the apex court, esteemed senior lawyers, the Attorney-General for Pakistan (AGP), and notable leaders from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

During the ceremony, CJP Bandial, AGP Mansoor Awan, the PBC Vice Chairman, and the SCBA President will deliver addresses. Traditionally, at the commencement of a judicial year, the CJP evaluates the previous year’s performance and outlines priorities for the upcoming year. However, this year’s event is unique due to the impending retirement of CJP Bandial.

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Last year, when CJP Bandial commenced the judicial year, he had anticipated a reduction in the backlog of cases to 45,000. Regrettably, the backlog has instead reached an all-time high in the country’s history, with 56,544 pending cases currently before the apex court.

Some senior lawyers anticipate that CJP Bandial may provide an overview of the previous year in his speech. Nevertheless, there are suggestions that it would have been more suitable to hold the new judicial year ceremony after September 17, the day when the incoming CJP, Qazi Faez Isa, is scheduled to take the oath of office.

Anticipation is building regarding the priorities Justice Isa will establish during his tenure. If a farewell reference is arranged in honor of CJP Bandial, Justice Isa will have an opportunity to address the gathering.

It has been reported that a proposal has been submitted to CJP Bandial to organize a farewell reference in his honor on September 15, although his approval is pending. Furthermore, a farewell dinner in honor of CJP Bandial is planned for September 14.

Additional farewell events include a farewell dinner hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on September 13, a dinner arranged by Supreme Court judges from the province of Sindh on September 11, and a dinner party for Justice Bandial hosted by other judges on September 12.