LHC refers petitions against Punjab Defamation Act to chief justice

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday referred a set of petitions challenging the Punjab Defamation Act 2024 to the Chief Justice after objections were raised regarding their maintainability

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2026) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday referred a set of petitions challenging the Punjab Defamation Act 2024 to the Chief Justice after objections were raised regarding their maintainability.

The case was heard by Justice Anwaar Hussain, who forwarded the matter to the Chief Justice for a decision on whether it should be taken up by a single bench or a larger bench.

During the proceedings, Assistant Advocate General Saad Ghazi, representing the Punjab government, argued that the petitions did not fall within the jurisdiction of a single bench and should either be heard by the Chief Justice or referred to a larger bench.

He further informed the court that tribunals under the Defamation Law 2024 had already been constituted in line with directions issued by the Chief Justice.

The law officer also contended that objections raised earlier by the petitioners regarding immunity for High Court judges under the law were not tenable, adding that the tribunals were formed in consultation with the Chief Justice, addressing concerns related to judicial independence.

Emphasizing the importance of the matter, the provincial law officer requested the constitution of a larger bench to adjudicate the case.

After hearing detailed arguments from both sides, the court briefly reserved its decision but later referred the matter to the Chief Justice.

The petitions were filed by senior journalist Rana Azeem and others.