The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) (Urdu: عدالت عظمیٰ پاکستان; Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān) is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of Pakistan, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It also has a number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. The court has a number of de jure powers, outlined in the Constitution. Through several periods of military rule and constitutional suspensions (see Doctrine of necessity), the court has also established itself as a de facto check on military power.