Supreme Court constitutional bench extended for 6 months
The meeting also saw some revisions to the Judicial Commission's rules.
ISLAMABAD: The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been extended for another six months, following a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan on Saturday. The meeting, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi, also approved new rules for the Judicial Commission.
Sources revealed that the decision to extend the constitutional bench was made by a narrow margin of 7-6. During the meeting, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel proposed that all judges be included in the constitutional bench. However, the majority of members voted in favor of maintaining the current composition, leading to the bench’s extension for the next six months.
The meeting also saw some revisions to the Judicial Commission’s rules. Notably, the requirement for a medical test for new additional judges was abolished. Additionally, the discretion to request an intelligence report for judicial candidates will now lie with the Judicial Commission.
Under the new rules, three names will be considered for the post of chief justice of a high court, with the commission required to justify any decision not to appoint the senior-most judge. Moreover, five names will be submitted by high courts for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.
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The sources further indicated that nominations for additional judges have been called for by January 3, with the chief justices of high courts responsible for sending these nominations to the Judicial Commission. It was also noted that the names previously submitted for additional judges have been unanimously withdrawn.
