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ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (APP): The Supreme Court on Monday released its written verdict on intra-court appeals against military trials, directing the government to legislate within 45 days to provide citizens convicted by military courts the right to an independent appeal.
The judgment noted that while the Army Act contains a basic framework, there is no adequate forum of appeal available for ordinary citizens. The Court emphasized that new legislation must ensure free and independent appeals through the High Courts for those convicted by military courts.
The written decision recalled that on May 7, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had accepted the intra-court appeals and overturned the earlier five-member bench ruling that had struck down military trials.
Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan authored the 68-page judgment, with an additional 47-page note penned by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, which was endorsed by Justices Amin, Hasan Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Shahid Bilal. However, Justices Jamal Mandokhail and Naeem Afghan recorded dissenting notes.
The verdict also highlighted that during the hearings, the Attorney General repeatedly sought time to obtain government instructions on the right to appeal. At the final hearing on May 5, the Attorney General stated that if the Court issued directions, Parliament could proceed with legislation, assuring that any such judicial order would be taken seriously.