Supreme Judicial Council Approves Judges’ Code Amendments

ISLAMABAD — The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) approved important amendments to the Code of Conduct for Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts during a meeting held on Saturday, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi.

The meeting was attended by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar virtually, while Justice Aalia Neelum, Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, and Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, participated in person.

Key Amendments Introduced

The Council introduced four new articles to the Code of Conduct, aiming to uphold judicial integrity and impartiality. These included Articles XII, XIII, XIV, and XV, which focus on limiting judges’ participation in social, cultural, political, and diplomatic events.

• Article XII bans judges from presiding over or attending any social, cultural, political, or diplomatic functions.

• Article XIII states that if judges receive an invitation to attend conferences or meetings from foreign or international agencies, they must direct the invitation to be routed through the concerned Chief Justice. Soliciting such invitations will be considered misconduct.

• Article XIV prohibits judges from accepting dinner or reception invitations hosted in their honor by an individual member of the Bar.

• Article XV reinforces that judges should be free from internal or external influences and remain firm in their decisions based solely on merit. If they lack legal powers, judges must take an institutional response immediately.

Review of Complaints

The meeting also addressed 67 complaints filed under Article 209 of the Constitution. A total of 65 complaints were decided to be filed, one was deferred, and another was moved forward for further processing.

Additionally, the Council was reconstituted with Justice S.M. Attique Shah, Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, stepping in as the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice could not attend. The re-constituted Council reviewed another seven complaints, deciding to file five and move two forward for further consideration.