ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Bill 2023 on Wednesday.
The bill was tabled by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the lower house of the parliament and later it was approved.
The law minister said that the profession of lawyers has played an important role in the administration of justice, the defense of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
However, he said, the recent incidents of attack, intimidation, criminal force, and threats caused to lawyers have reached the alarming numbers.
The Bill reads: “This has also resulted in law and order situations and deficiencies in rendering professional services by advocates to their clients apart from causing a deep sense of fear in the minds of advocates.”
The Bill intended that in order to protect advocates from the said assaults, criminal force, intimidation and threats, it is necessary to enact legislation to protect advocates while discharging their professional duties.
According to the new bill, a strategy has been devised to ensure that the lawyers can perform their duties without fear or external influence.
The National Assembly also approved the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023” with the majority of the votes on Wednesday.
The bill was approved after the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Law and Justice declared it okay for approval.
The development took place after two judges of the top court including Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandohail wrote a dissenting note on the powers of the top judge.
The house also carried out some amendments in the bill including right to appeal against the suo motu verdicts taken up to 30 days before the passing of the Lawyers’ Protection Act. It also included that a bench with fewer than five judges will not take up the case involving interpretation of the Constitution.
