National Assembly Passes Evidence, CrPC and Criminal Law Amendment Bills

Independently written and published by Shahbaz Shah Legal Journal.

Evidence and criminal procedure bills pass the National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s official register records passage on 27 October 2026 of the Qanun-e-Shahdat (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Schedule-II), and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The committee version proposes changes on forensics and disputed court opinions. Its text must still be checked against the version passed by the House. Standing Committee report, Annex B, page 6.

This report confirms National Assembly passage. Presidential assent, a corresponding Gazette Act and commencement of these particular measures have not been verified as of 28 October 2026.

Qanun-e-Shahadat: what the committee recommended

The Standing Committee on Law and Justice recommended three changes in its report dated 6 March 2026:

• Article 59: expressly add forensics to the provision.
• Article 61: require referral for an expert’s report when the court’s opinion is disputed.
• Article 84: add a similar referral requirement when any party disputes the court’s opinion, notwithstanding clauses (1) and (2).

Annex B differs from the original draft in Annex A. As a matter of interpretation, requiring a report does not itself make its conclusion binding. Committee report, pages 2–6.

For practitioners, the immediate task is to compare the authenticated passed version with Annex B. That comparison matters before advising that expert referral has become compulsory in a particular trial.

CrPC Schedule II and the Criminal Law Bill

The Assembly’s passage register separately identifies the Schedule-II amendment and the Criminal Law amendment. A shared title or year is insufficient to identify their operative changes: criminal amendment bills with similar names can concern different provisions.

The complete authenticated texts passed on 27 October were not available for clause-by-clause verification in this review. Accordingly, this report makes no claim that a particular offence has become bailable, non-bailable, cognizable or non-cognizable, or that a particular punishment has changed.

Before relying on either measure, obtain the exact passed document and identify the provision or schedule entry it changes. A title in a parliamentary register establishes the recorded legislative stage; it does not supply the missing clause.

Passage and enforceable law are different stages

Under Article 75(3) of the Constitution, a bill becomes law upon presidential assent or deemed assent. An entry showing National Assembly passage alone does not establish that event. The enacted instrument’s commencement provision must also be read before determining when its changes operate.

Annex B proposes immediate commencement; proposed commencement wording does not prove enactment. Annex B, clause 1.

For a pending case, the sensible working approach is to identify the enacted text, commencement and any transitional provision before arguing that an amendment governs the proceedings. Keep the source document with the brief so that its status can be demonstrated in court.

Twelve entries in the Assembly’s combined register

The combined register lists twelve bills under 27 October 2026. Alongside the three discussed here, it records measures concerning environmental protection, child rights, senior citizens, motion pictures, hotels and restaurants, tourist guides, travel agencies, intermediate and secondary education, and Pakistan Study Centres. This is a count of that register’s entries, rather than a claim that twelve Acts entered into force.

Frequently asked questions

Have the three amendments already become law?

This review verifies National Assembly passage, while assent and commencement remain unverified. Article 75(3) explains when a bill becomes law.

Does the evidence proposal require an expert report in every case?

Annex B links referral under Articles 61 and 84 to a disputed court opinion. Its wording does not impose universal referral in every proceeding. Annex B, clauses 3–4.

Does the Schedule-II bill change bail for a particular offence?

That cannot responsibly be answered from its title. The exact passed schedule entry and subsequent enacted text must first be identified.

Where can I read the official material?

Use the committee-report PDF and Assembly-register buttons above. The PDF is a committee report, not an authenticated copy of the final passed or enacted text.

Official sources

• National Assembly: private members’ bills passed.
• National Assembly: combined bills-passed register.
• Law and Justice Committee report: Qanun-e-Shahadat proposal.
• Constitution of Pakistan: Article 75.