Publication of Laws of Pakistan (Amendment) Act, 2022

The Publication of Laws of Pakistan (Amendment) Act, 2022 has introduced significant changes to the original Publication of Laws of Pakistan Act, 2016. The 2016 Act was enacted following a judgment of the Supreme Court, PLD 2015 SC 257, authored by Justice Jawad S Khawaja. The court had identified issues with the accuracy of certain contract law books, which contained textual errors and did not provide the correct and authentic text of the law. Furthermore, it was discovered that there was no system or mechanism in place to regulate, publish, and review the authentic versions of laws in the country.

As a result of the court’s ruling, the government was ordered to establish the necessary arrangements to make authentic versions of laws accessible to the general public. In response, the Parliament passed the Publication of Laws of Pakistan Act, 2016, which established a cell responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act. The Act mandated the registration of publishers and sellers of laws and law books and required both the Federal and Provincial Governments to compile the authentic versions of laws within their respective jurisdictions. The Act provided a comprehensive mechanism to regulate the availability and publication of laws, including the introduction of penalties for unauthorized or inaccurate publications.

To enhance the effectiveness of the Act and introduce necessary changes, the government passed the Publication of Laws of Pakistan (Amendment) Act, 2022. This amendment Act has introduced the concept of administrative divisions and administrative departments at the federal and provincial levels, respectively. These divisions and departments have been assigned the responsibility of carrying out the provisions of the Act. Additionally, the amendment Act makes it mandatory for all laws to be available in the Urdu language, ensuring accessibility for a broader audience.