The Senate on Friday unanimously passed "The Arbitration (International Investment Disputes) Bill, 2010 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2010." Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan presented separately these two bills in the Upper House of the Parliament which were passed unanimously.
According to statement of objects and reasons of The Arbitration (International Investment Dispute) Bill, 2010, the government of Pakistan has signed and ratified the international convention on the settlement of investment disputes between the states and nationals of other states. In order to benefit from the convention, domestic legislation had to be enacted. This bill would promote investment climate in the country.
Similarly, according to statement of objects and reasons of The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2010, the trials of accused persons get delayed due to various causes including the pendency and huge backlog in the courts. With the result that the accused persons languish in jails for indefinite period whose trials are not concluded.
The object of the proposed bill is to provide relief to them and grant them bail after two years in case of offence punishable with death and after one year in case of offence not punishable with death. This period is further being reduced to one year and six months, respectively, in case of women accused. Similar amendment is being proposed in section 426 of the CrPc. If case gets delayed at appellant stage.
The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2011 was also introduced in the House. Dr Babar Awan moved this bill in the House for introduction. Babar also presented a report of the committee on the bill to provide for reconstitution of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, Lahore [The Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design Bill, 2010].