The color-coding of cases will serve as the first step in transferring them to the newly established constitutional bench of the Supreme Court.
This decision was made during a meeting on November 6, chaired by Justice Aminuddin Khan, head of the new constitutional bench. The meeting was convened to discuss the efficient operation of the bench.
According to the meeting’s minutes released on Monday, Justice Khan was briefed on the pending cases under Articles 184(1), 184(3), and 186, including human rights cases. The current processing practices for constitutional petitions and a proposed strategy for future handling were also presented to the bench head.
It was agreed that color coding should be implemented for case management. In this regard, Mazhar Ali Khan, a senior research officer at the Supreme Court, was tasked with reviewing cases arising under Article 199 of the Constitution.
The minutes also stated that the head of the bench would determine the listing of cases, the formation of additional constitutional benches, court rosters, and the number of cases to be heard each week, In collaboration with the other two senior members of the constitutional bench. A committee consisting of the senior-most judge and the next two most senior judges will be responsible for forming the bench, ensuring it consists of at least five judges.
Since one member of the committee is currently abroad, the next meeting of the three-member committee will be scheduled upon their return.
The meeting, chaired by Justice Khan, was attended by SC Registrar Muhammad Salim Khan, Additional Registrar Judicial Nazar Abbass, Senior Research Officer Mazhar Ali Khan, Institutional Officer Nazeer Ahmed, and Judicial Assistants Abdul Rehman and Mubashir Ahmad. Justice Aminuddin Khan was appointed as head of the constitutional benches by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan on November 5.
The constitutional bench, led by Justice Khan, includes Justices Ayesha Malik, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Athar Minallah, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Jamal Khan Mandokhail. The bench has been formed for a period of 60 days.
