A Full Court Reference in the honour of outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Nazim Hussein Siddiqui, will be held on June 29 on his retirement at 11.30 am in Court Room No 1 of the Supreme Court Building. According to Supreme Court Registrar Budha Khan, all the judges of the Supreme Court will participate in the full court reference.
The Attorney General for Pakistan, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, deputy attorney generals, senior advocates and senior officials of the Supreme Court will also attend the reference.
It may be mentioned here that the present Chief Justice has revived tradition of Full Court Reference after taking oath on December 31, 2003 as chief justice of the apex court.
President General Pervez Musharraf appointed Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui as Chief Justice after the 17th Constitutional Amendment passed by the two Houses of the Parliament with two-thirds majority.
The President of Islamic Republic Of Pakistan has already appointed Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who belongs to Balochistan as Chief Justice of Pakistan from June 30, 2005.
Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry served as judge of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) from November 6, 1990 to April 21, 1999, and as Chief Justice of the said high court from April 22, 1999 to February 3, 2000.
Justice lftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was appointed as judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on February 4, 2000. He will be the first Chief Justice of Pakistan from Balochistan who will head the highest court of the country.
According to notification issued by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights Division, "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 177 if the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is pleased to appoint Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, as Chief Justice of Pakistan with effect from 30th June, 2005."
According to Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, President General Pervez Musharraf will take oath from the newly-appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan on June 30, 2005.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held at Aiwan-e-Sadr at 10.30 am.