Image caption Mr Chaudhry has longed presented himself as a bulwark against corruption

Pakistan's Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, is presiding over a three-judge hearing at the Supreme Court to address allegations of corruption against his own son, Arsalan.

The chief justice apparently initiated the case as a response to widespread accusations in the media that his son accepted millions of dollars in bribes.

The money allegedly came from a property tycoon who hoped to influence a Supreme Court ruling.

Arsalan Chaudhry denies any wrongdoing.

The case is expected to resume on Thursday.

Bitter confrontation

The BBC's South Asia analyst Jill McGivering says that the chief justice is an outspoken and high-profile figure who portrays himself as an honest broker in Pakistan, where corruption in public life is seen as endemic.

His battle to prove his independence put him at loggerheads in the past with former President Pervez Musharraf.

Protests by the chief justice's supporters played a significant role in ousting President Musharraf from office.

Mr Chaudhry has played a key role more recently in contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was found guilty in April.

In December the chief justice was accused by President Asif Ali Zardari of failing to investigate the murder of his wife, former Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in December 2007.

Now Mr Chaudhry and the Supreme Court are locked in a bitter confrontation with the current PPP-led government over the Gilani case and other issues.

His determination to bring his son's accusers to court - and his promise to deliver justice if his son is found guilty of corruption - may be seen as an attempt to protect his reputation, our correspondent says.