Justice Qazi Faez Isa has been sworn in as the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan. Qazi Faez has been associated with the legal profession for 45 years. He was licensed to practice as an advocate in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) on 30 January 1985 and then elevated to the Supreme Court on 21 March 1998.
He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) on August 5, 2009, and appointed as Supreme Court Judge on September 5, 2014.
The newly appointed Chief Justice, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa took many important decisions during his tenure as a Supreme Court judge.
Must Read: Justice Qazi Faez Isa takes oath as 29th chief justice of Pakistan
Remarks on the Faizabad Dharna Case
Justice Qazi Faiz Isa's strict constitutional approach is reflected in the 2019 Faizabad sit-in case, where he remarked that the right to protest is limited only to the extent that it does not interfere with the fundamental rights of others, the free movement of people.
He remarked no one can take away the right to movement, possession, and enjoyment of property, thus protesters who obstruct the transportation of people and damage or destroy property, against such protesters according to law and action should be taken and they should be held accountable.
Case of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation
Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, also gave remarks in a case of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation that Pakistan is highly indebted and the government is taking more loans, thus future generations will be born poor and will remain poor until they die.
Balochistan suo motu on Hazara killings
Justice Isa underscored that citizens should not be required to submit applications in cases of fundamental rights violations or when they apprehend potential retaliation. He contended that chief justices of high courts should be empowered to initiate such actions, even relying on information from media reports.
Objection to the composition of the judicial bench
In the case related to the distribution of funds to the members of the National Assembly and the Provincial Assembly by the Prime Minister, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa objected to the way the judicial bench was constituted and remarked that loyalty is always with the Constitution, if the head of an institution deviates keeping senior judges off the bench when important constitutional matters are being heard serves neither the institution nor the public
Justice Faiz Isa remarks on Senate chairman elections
Justice Qazi Faez Isa also disagreed with his colleagues on the Senate elections and remarked that both sides of the political divide publicly accused each other of vote-buying. It was also alleged that the election of the Senate Chairman was seriously tainted and in these circumstances, the Supreme Court cannot ignore such alleged constitutional violations and allow the people's rights to be abrogated.
Justice Faiz Isa headed important commissions of inquiry
Qazi Faiz Isa has twice chaired the 3-member Judicial Inquiry Commission, the Memo Inquiry Commission, and the Justice Khawaja Sharif Assassination Commission, in both cases serious allegations against the civilian leadership by a political party were found to be false.
Justice Faiz Isa also chaired the commission of inquiry into the two terrorist attacks in Quetta on August 8, 2016, in which 75 people, mostly lawyers, were killed. Justice Isa was able to track down the culprits and recommended how to effectively combat terrorism and the propagation of false ideas.
Dissenting Note in case of trial of civilians in military courts
When the 21st Amendment to the Constitution legislated for the trial of civilians in military courts was challenged, Justice Qazi Faez Isa wrote a dissenting note expressing his opinion that such trials were not constitutional.
National Accountability Bureau reprimanded in corruption case
Justice Qazi Faez Isa reprimanded the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for entering into a plea bargain with a civil servant caught red-handed in a 70-crore corruption case and remarked that the chairman's approval of the plea bargain was an end to corruption. And the stated purpose of holding all these persons accountable is contrary to the [NAB Ordinance].
Remarks in case on grant of inheritance rights to Women
During his tenure, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa also ensured that women were not deprived of their inheritance rights, remarking in inheritance cases that it was fraud for men not to give inheritance rights to women, and male heirs to female heirs. Not giving the right is like denying the parentage of women.
Honour Killings
Justice Qazi Faiz Isa in his judgments strongly condemned the killing of women in the name of honor and remarked that it needs to be reiterated that no killing is ever honourable and no adequate measures were taken to prevent crimes against women.
