Pakistan · Courts
Court structure of Pakistan
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Supreme Court of Pakistan
- Islamabad; includes the Shariat Appellate Bench.
- Constitutional / religious — Federal Shariat Court
- Reviews statutes for repugnance to Islamic injunctions.
- Appellate — High Courts
- One per province plus the Islamabad High Court; writ jurisdiction under Article 199.
- First instance — District and Sessions Courts
- Civil and criminal trial courts at district level.
- Specialist — Anti-terrorism, accountability and banking courts
- Statutory tribunals with their own procedure.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeIslamabadSupreme Court of PakistanAppeals from the High Courts, original jurisdiction under Article 184(3) on questions of public importance involving fundamental rights, advisory jurisdiction on presidential reference, and a Shariat Appellate Bench for appeals from the Federal Shariat Court.
- specialisedIslamabadFederal Shariat CourtDetermination of whether any law or provision is repugnant to the injunctions of Islam, on its own motion or on petition, and appellate jurisdiction in Hudood cases.
- appellateLahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, IslamabadHigh CourtsWrit jurisdiction under Article 199 for enforcement of fundamental rights and review of state action, appeals from the district judiciary, and supervision of subordinate courts and tribunals.
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