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SC directs govt to?appoint judges rejected by panel

ISLAMABAD - In a move that spelled a stand-off between the judiciary and the parliament, the Supreme Court on Friday outlawed the Parliamentary Committee’s rejection of the recommendation of the Judicial Commission for extension to six high court judges from Sindh and Punjab.

By Afzal Khan

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Published: Sat 5 Mar 2011, 11:33 PM

Last updated: Tue 19 May 2020, 5:57 PM

The court directed the government to issue appointment notifications to the rejected judges in accordance with the Judicial Commission’s recommendations.
Under the 18^th Amendment, a new procedure has been introduced on the appointment of judges of the superior courts. The Judicial Commission headed by the Chief Justice and including four more judges, a representative of the bar council, law minister and attorney-general approves the appointment which is subject to scrutiny by an eight-member parliamentary committee with equal representation from the government and the opposition.
Six members of the panel can veto the nomination.
Most of the recommendations of the commission have been approved in recent past but the panel last month rejected six nominations. It, however, failed to assign reasons for rejection as required in the amendment. Several bar associations have challenged the validity of this amendment on plea that it abridges the independence of the judiciary.
The apex court issued the ruling after hearing petitions assailing the Parliamentary Committee’s decision of declining JC’s recommendations to extend the service tenure of the six judges.
mafzalkhan@yahoo.com

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