Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa – a prolific jurist

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who took oath as 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) today, was born in Quetta on October 26, 1959, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

His father late Qazi Muhammad Isa who was resident of Pishin was an active member of Pakistan Movement and considered to be a close associate of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

After receiving his early education in Quetta, he went to Karachi where he did his O Levels and A Levels from Karachi Grammar School.

Later, he left for the UK to study law. There he completed his Bar Professional Examination from the Court School of Law.

He was registered as an advocate with the Balochistan High Court (BHC) on January 30, 1985, and went on to become advocate Supreme Court in March 1998. 

When General (r) Pervez Musharraf imposed an emergency in the country on November 3, 2007, he decided not to appear before the judges, who had violated their oath.  

Later, when the Supreme Court declared the imposition of emergency null and void, Balochistan High Court judges resigned from their seats.

It was on August 5, 2009 that Justice Isa was appointed as BHC judge.

Before going on to become a judge in BHC, Federal Shariat Court and later in the Supreme Court (SC), he remained associated with the legal profession for 27 years.

On several occasions, different high courts and the apex court sought his assistance during the hearing of complex cases.

He also looked after legal affairs pertaining to international arbitration.

It was on September 5, 2014 that he took oath as a SC judge.

Justice Isa has not heard a single case for the last five months and preferred to work in his chamber instead in protest against the failure of the former CJP Umar Ata Bandial to order implementation of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act passed by parliament, and granting stay in the case.

The judge is famous for his judgements in cases such as Memogate Commission, Quetta tragedy inquiry commission 2016, renewal of Article 183 (3), Faizabad sit-in case of 2019, PCO judges case.

Justice Isa’s stay in office is for a brief period of time since he would retire on October 25, 2024.