On Saturday, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved new regulations governing the assessment and evaluation of judges for appointments to the superior judiciary. The newly established rules, known as the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules, 2024, were approved during two consecutive sessions led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
The commission has been restructured in line with the 26th Constitutional Amendment, now including both parliament members and judges. Following the approval of the rules, commission members were instructed to submit nominations for additional judges across various high courts using two newly created proformas by December 16.
The members will submit their nominations by January 3, 2025, after which a consolidated list will be compiled to evaluate the nominees’ credentials. Notably, previously discussed candidates may reappear on this list.
The initial meeting began at 11 AM and lasted for approximately eight hours, during which draft rules were thoroughly examined and refined based on feedback. Subsequently, the proposed rules were approved with certain amendments.
Additionally, during the second session, the tenure of the seven-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court was extended by six months, moving the expiration date from January to July. Although Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail proposed including all Supreme Court judges in the constitutional bench, the existing composition was maintained by a narrow vote of seven to six.
Concerns were raised by PTI Senator Ali Zafar regarding the inclusion of all judges and the legality of the 26th amendment, recommending further consideration after a full court review.
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Among other adjustments, the commission decided to omit Rule 3, which required legal backgrounds for nominations, and Rule 13(4), which mandated nominees attend meetings concerning their elevation. Rule 13(6) was also amended to allow voting by show of hands rather than secret ballot.
The commission also agreed that any decision to bypass senior judges for promotion would be accompanied by valid reasons, respecting the need for transparency.
The meetings featured attendance from Supreme Court justices and high court leaders, along with law ministers, the Attorney General, and various parliament members.Judicial Commission of Pakistan Approves New Rules for Evaluating Judge Appointments
On Saturday, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved new regulations governing the assessment and evaluation of judges for appointments to the superior judiciary. The newly established rules, known as the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules, 2024, were approved during two consecutive sessions led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
The commission has been restructured in line with the 26th Constitutional Amendment, now including both parliament members and judges. Following the approval of the rules, commission members were instructed to submit nominations for additional judges across various high courts using two newly created proformas by December 16.
The members will submit their nominations by January 3, 2025, after which a consolidated list will be compiled to evaluate the nominees’ credentials. Notably, previously discussed candidates may reappear on this list.
The initial meeting began at 11 AM and lasted for approximately eight hours, during which draft rules were thoroughly examined and refined based on feedback. Subsequently, the proposed rules were approved with certain amendments.
Additionally, during the second session, the tenure of the seven-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court was extended by six months, moving the expiration date from January to July. Although Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail proposed including all Supreme Court judges in the constitutional bench, the existing composition was maintained by a narrow vote of seven to six.
Concerns were raised by PTI Senator Ali Zafar regarding the inclusion of all judges and the legality of the 26th amendment, recommending further consideration after a full court review.
Among other adjustments, the commission decided to omit Rule 3, which required legal backgrounds for nominations, and Rule 13(4), which mandated nominees attend meetings concerning their elevation. Rule 13(6) was also amended to allow voting by show of hands rather than secret ballot.
The commission also agreed that any decision to bypass senior judges for promotion would be accompanied by valid reasons, respecting the need for transparency.
The meetings featured attendance from Supreme Court justices and high court leaders, along with law ministers, the Attorney General, and various parliament members.
