Supreme Court of Pakistan cause list: how to check it online
Updated . This guide explains how to use the court's own list; it does not reproduce the list.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan hears cases at its Principal Seat in Islamabad and at registries in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. Its cause list tells you which cases are fixed before which bench, the judges on that bench, and the time the matter is expected to be taken up. Because Supreme Court work often means a registry you do not sit in every day, the online search matters more than any notice board.
This page explains which lists the court publishes, how to search them on scp.gov.pk by enrolment number, CNIC, case key or title, how to group results by bench or date, and how to read a row.
Official source
Supreme Court cause list search (scp.gov.pk)
Benches covered: Principal Seat, Islamabad · Lahore Registry · Karachi Registry · Peshawar Registry · Quetta Registry
Which lists the Supreme Court publishes
Final cause list
The main list for each bench and date. The List Type Code filter on the search form (default All Types) restricts results to one kind of list. The final list is the version of record, but read the supplementary list alongside it.
Supplementary cause list
Cases added after the final list was drawn up: fresh petitions, matters fixed on an application for early hearing, and cases moved from another date or bench. It is published separately and is the list most often missed.
Chamber list
Matters a judge deals with in chambers rather than in open court, such as applications arising from office objections or for condonation of delay. It is a separate list, so check it whenever you have a miscellaneous application pending.
When the lists are published
The court fixes cases well in advance, and the search form accepts a Date From and Date To range as well as a single Date (Exact). Lists are usually published the working day before and can be revised, so re-check the portal the evening before the hearing rather than relying on a search you ran days earlier.
Supplementary and chamber lists are issued as needed. Rosters change too: a case shown before one bench on the roster can be listed before another when the final list is published, and the fixation time can move. The published list is the record.
Where to find the official list
The official search is the Supreme Court cause list search (scp.gov.pk); the same search is linked from the court's main website. The court's search covers the Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta registries, returns final and supplementary cause lists as well as chamber lists, and shows the bench, the judges on it, the date, case number, party names, lawyers' names and fixation time.
Use the Registry field to limit results to one registry, or leave it open and use Group By to keep results from several registries readable.
How to search by advocate name or case number
- Open the cause list search. To see all your own cases, enter your enrolment number in Lawyer Enrol or your CNIC in Lawyer CNIC; either is more reliable than a name, because the form matches on the number the office recorded for you.
- To find one case instead, use Case Key (the court's own reference) or type part of the parties' names in Case Title. You can also narrow by Category or Judge Name (default All Judges).
- Set the date: Date (Exact) for one day, or Date From and Date To for a range. Pick a Registry if you want one seat, and leave List Type Code at All Types so supplementary and chamber lists are included.
- Choose Group By: By Bench arranges matters under each bench and its judges; By Date puts them in date order across benches, which is better for planning a week.
- Run the search and note the bench, judges, serial number and fixation time for each case in your diary. Re-run it the evening before and on the morning of the hearing.
How to read a row
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bench | The bench and the judges on it. Two benches led by the same senior judge are different benches; check the judges, not just the number. |
| Date and fixation time | The hearing date and the time the bench expects to take the case up. The time is a guide; the order depends on how earlier matters go. |
| Serial number | The position of the case on the bench's list. Low numbers are usually reached early; high numbers can be adjourned unheard. |
| Case number and key | The court's registration number, for example a civil petition or criminal appeal with its year, and the case key the search uses. Use this, not the parties, to confirm it is your case. |
| Lawyers | Counsel and advocate-on-record for each side as recorded by the office. If your name is missing, a search by enrolment number will not find the case either. |
| Registry | Whether the case is fixed at the Principal Seat, Islamabad or at the Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar or Quetta Registry. |
Common mistakes
- Searching only by name in Case Title and missing cases where the title on record is spelt differently. Use Lawyer Enrol or Lawyer CNIC as well.
- Restricting List Type Code to one type and missing the supplementary or chamber list for the same date.
- Searching a single Date (Exact) and not the surrounding days, when a case has been shifted by a day.
- Forgetting the Registry field, so the search shows the Principal Seat when the case is fixed at a branch registry, or the other way round.
- Running the search once, early in the week, and not again the evening before. Benches and fixation times change until the final list is out.
Track these cases automatically
Supreme Court practice adds a layer to the evening routine: search by enrolment number, group by date, then check the supplementary and chamber lists for each registry. It is manageable for a few cases, and difficult once you have matters at two registries and a High Court in the same week.
Digital Lawyer Diary keeps every case you handle in one place with its court, bench, stage and next date. Record a case once, and the diary shows you what is due tomorrow across the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the district courts, sends a reminder before the hearing, and lets your junior or clerk update the next date from court so the whole chamber sees it. It is free for individual advocates.
Supreme Court cause list: questions advocates ask
Can I search the Supreme Court cause list by advocate name?
By number rather than name. The search form on scp.gov.pk has Lawyer Enrol and Lawyer CNIC fields, which match the enrolment number or CNIC the office recorded for you. There is no free-text lawyer name field, so enrolment number or CNIC is the way to see all your cases at once.
Does the search cover the branch registries?
Yes. The court's search covers the Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta registries. Use the Registry field to limit results to one registry, or leave it open and use Group By to arrange results by bench or by date across all of them.
What is the difference between the final and supplementary cause list?
The final list is the main list for a bench and date. The supplementary list carries cases added afterwards, such as fresh petitions or matters fixed on an application for early hearing. Both are returned by the search when List Type Code is left at All Types.
What is a chamber list?
A chamber list shows matters a judge deals with in chambers rather than in open court, for example applications relating to office objections or condonation of delay. It is separate from the bench list, so check it whenever you have a miscellaneous application pending.