A video of Pakistan’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa criticizing a lawyer for citing Indian legal precedents has gone viral on social media. Justice Isa expressed his annoyance with the “perpetual fascination” with Indian law, particularly since it is not reciprocated. The incident occurred during a discussion on the functioning of the Pakistan Supreme Court, when the lawyer mentioned a case involving a former Chief Justice of India. Justice Isa urged the lawyer to adhere to Pakistani traditions and questioned the need to constantly refer to Indian judgments. He pointed out that he had never encountered a situation where Indian courts had referred to Pakistani judgments. The lawyer acknowledged there were some early instances, but not recent ones. Justice Isa emphasized the importance of focusing on Pakistan’s Constitution rather than looking to other countries such as India or the United States. Additionally, Justice Isa questioned why the lawyer was not considering Islamic principles. In other news, the Supreme Court of Pakistan recently upheld the constitutionality of the Supreme Court (Practice & Procedure) Act, 2023, which specifies the formation of committees to handle constitutional matters and suo motu notices.
