Summary
The Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan is a judicial body of the superior judiciary of Pakistan, empowered under the Article 209 of the constitution of Pakistan, to hear cases of misconduct against judges.
Constitutional composition edit
The composition of the Council is set out in the constitution as:
- The Chief Justice of Pakistan;
- The two next most senior judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan;
- The two most senior Chief Justices of the High courts.
Where the council is investigating a member of the council he is replaced by the next most senior judge.
Current composition edit
| Name | Retirement | Qualifying criteria | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qazi Faez Isa | 26 October 2024 | Chief Justice of Pakistan | |
| Mansoor Ali Shah | 27 November 2027 | Senior most judge of Supreme Court | |
| Munib Akhtar | 13 December 2028 | Second senior most judge of Supreme Court | |
| Aamer Farooq | 25 April 2031 | Senior most chief justice of a provincial high court (Islamabad High Court) | Aamer Farooq will remain member of the council until his retirement unless he is elevated to Supreme Court or if there is a reference against him |
| Muhammad Ibrahim Khan | 14 April 2024 | Second senior most chief justice of a provincial high court (Peshawar High Court) | Ibrahim will remain member of the council until his retirement unless he is elevated to Supreme Court or if there is a reference against him |
| Ms. Jazeela Aslam | Secretary of the Council | Member in virtue of being Registrar of the Supreme Court |
Powers edit
No judge of any of the five High Courts or of the Supreme Court of Pakistan may be dismissed except by the President on the report of the Supreme Judicial Council. The Council may start proceedings against a judge either by its own initiative or by reference from the President of Pakistan.
If the Council concludes that the judge is guilty of misconduct and should be removed from office, it can recommend this to the President.
A judge of a court or tribunal subordinate to a High Court may be dismissed by the High Court concerned.
List of judges referenced to Supreme Judicial Council edit
| Name | Court | Reasons | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry | Supreme Court of Pakistan | Acquitted | |
| Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui | Islamabad High Court | Speech against military and ISI[1] On March 22, 2024, Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal of former Islamabad High Court Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was unlawful and he shall be considered as a retired Judge.[2] | Retired and Acquitted |
| Qazi Faez Isa | Supreme Court of Pakistan | Purchase price of one property not cited [3] | Acquitted |
| Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan | Lahore High Court | Offshore company reported in Panama Papers[4] | Resigned |
| Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi[4] | Islamabad High Court | Acquitted | |
| Sayyed Muhammad Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi[4] | Lahore High Court | SJC proceedings continued in light of SC decision[5] and opinioned that he was guilty of misconduct and should have been removed as a Judge.[6] The Ministry of Law and Justice (Pakistan) issued a notification effectuating his removal.[7] | Removed |
| Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu[4] | Lahore High Court | Resigned |
References edit
- ^ "Islamabad High Court judge sacked for his remarks against ISI". The Hindu. October 12, 2018 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ Supreme, Court of Pakistan (22 March 2024). https://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/downloads_judgements/const.p._76_2018.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Purchase price of one property not cited". thenews.com.pk.
- ^ a b c d Iqbal, Nasir (December 27, 2018). "SJC to hear complaint of misconduct against LHC judge". DAWN.COM.
- ^ Supreme Court Order. https://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/downloads_judgements/i.c.a._1_2024_dt_21_02_2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Bhatti, Haseeb (2024-03-07). "Ex-SC judge Mazahar Naqvi 'guilty of misconduct', should've been sacked: Supreme Judicial Council". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ Ministry of Law. https://molaw.gov.pk/NewsDetail/Mjc2MjUyMzQtYmVhNC00M2ZiLWFjODEtMGNhNzBkN2IwZWI2.
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