A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE REVIEW PETITIONS FILED IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN: A PURE DOCTRINAL RESEARCH STUDY

Abstract

This research paper aims to critically analyze the review petitions in supreme court of Pakistan. The concept of a 'review' allows courts to revisit their judgments, a practice debated globally. Within Pakistan's legal framework, the Supreme Court can review its decisions under Article 188 of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. However, criticisms arise from inconsistent decisions, delays, and alleged politicization. This research employed doctrinal research methodology and critical analysis method to analyze the review petitions decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 2016 to 2023 and found significant irregularities, deviations from established norms, and arbitrariness, embedding uncertainty in the jurisprudential landscape. It is also observed that exercise of review by the Supreme Court of Pakistan is criticized due to inconsistency in judgments, delay in the adjudication of cases, politicization, and an increase in the backlog of cases. To alleviate these disparities and revitalize the efficacy of the review process, comprehensive reforms including the formulation of explicit review criteria,enactment of responsive legislation, and sustained engagement with stakeholders, are imperative.