Abolition of Master of the Roster in Pakistan and lessons for India
Published on: 13 February 2024, 01:59 pm
Pakistan has abolished the contested practice of Master of the Roster. Should India follow suit?
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THROUGH a landmark verdict in October 2023, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has abolished the controversial practice of Master of the Roster.
Reading the majority verdict (10:5), the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa dismissed petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.
The Act requires the constitution of a panel of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the next two senior-most judges of the court to decide on the formation of constitutional Benches as well as matters to be taken up suo motu. This essentially takes away the Chief Justice's absolute monopoly over the Supreme Court's roster.
“The tenure of the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, sparked controversy over the political influence on the functioning of the judiciary amid political turmoil after the ouster of Imran Khan as Prime Minister.
The tenure of the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, sparked substantial controversy over the political influence on the functioning of the judiciary amid political turmoil after the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister.
Bandial's 19-month tenure, which concluded in September last year, was marked by a series of controversies over the allocation of politically sensitive cases to particular judges, allegations of Bandial being partisan towards Imran Khan, visible divisions among judges, Pakistan's National Assembly passing a resolution rejecting judicial interference in legislative matters, and the Pakistan government demanding Bandial's resignation.