Justice Musarrat Hilali Declines Appointment to Federal Constitutional Court

ISLAMABAD: Soon after the swearing-in of the first Chief Justice of the newly created Federal Constitutional Court, Supreme Court Judge Justice Musarrat Hilali has declined her proposed transfer to the new court.

According to sources, her name was under consideration for appointment as a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court; however, she refused due to health-related issues.

Sources further confirmed that following her refusal, Justice Hilali was no longer included in the panel of judges being evaluated for the new court. The Federal Constitutional Court is being established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, introducing significant structural changes to Pakistan’s judicial system.

Meanwhile, Justice Amin Uddin Khan took oath as the first Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court in a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, federal ministers, parliamentarians, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and senior military leadership attended the ceremony.

The establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court marks a major shift in how constitutional matters will be interpreted and adjudicated in Pakistan. The Supreme Court will now primarily oversee appeals and regular judicial matters, while the new court will handle constitutional disputes.

Following Justice Hilali’s refusal, the Ministry of Law has accelerated consultations to finalize alternative names for the court’s bench. Additional candidates are expected to be evaluated in the coming days.

This development comes at a sensitive time when the judiciary is undergoing major changes following the passage of the 27th Amendment.