ISLAMABAD: Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is facing a presidential reference before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), will finally begin hearing cases from the week commencing on Sept 11, the day the Supreme Court will start its new judicial year 2019-20.

Justice Isa will be heading a three-judge Supreme Court bench, whose other members will be Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan.

Soon after the SJC commenced proceedings against Justice Isa for possessing three properties in the United Kingdom in the name of his wife and children, the judge decided not to sit in any bench.

But when the Supreme Court begins the new judicial year next week after the end of a three-month vacation, four benches will start hearing a number of cases pending at the principal seat in Islamabad.

The concept of a new judicial year was developed by former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. He introduced the idea of opening ceremonies in which the chief justice spells out priorities for the year.

The first bench at the start of the new judicial year will be headed by the chief justice himself. The other members will be Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.

Bench-II will consist of Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Munib Akhtar, Bench-III will comprise Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed, while Justice Isa will head Bench-IV.

Justice Faez Isa had stopped hearing cases soon after the presidential reference was brought before the Supreme Judicial Council. Later, a second private reference was also filed against the judge for addressing three letters to President Arif Alvi.

The SJC has already rejected the second reference against Justice Isa, but the presidential reference is still pending. A show-cause notice has also been issued to the judge.

On Aug 7, Justice Isa had moved a petition before the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, challenging the reference against him because it was moved by a “proxy with a mala fide intent to achieve a collateral purpose”.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2019