Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi led the Pakistani delegation to the 14th St Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF) in the Russian Federation, held from June 24 to 26, 2026. The forum brought together judicial leaders, policymakers, legal scholars, and practitioners from numerous jurisdictions. The Pakistani delegation also included Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Aminuddin Khan and Pakistan's Ambassador to the Russian Federation.
Bilateral Meetings and Judicial Cooperation
On the sidelines of the forum, the chief justice held a series of bilateral meetings with heads of foreign judiciaries aimed at enhancing institutional collaboration and expanding judicial dialogue. The proposed collaboration with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation encompasses judicial exchanges, professional and judicial education, legal research, court administration, digital transformation, and sharing of best practices.
According to a Supreme Court statement, the forum provided an opportunity to showcase Pakistan's ongoing judicial reform initiatives, including advancements in court digitalisation, responsible adoption of emerging technologies, institutional strengthening, and measures to improve access to justice. The opening day concluded with a plenary session where the Pakistani delegation interacted with global judicial leaders.
Criticism from Legal Fraternity
Since the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the superior judiciary, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, has actively engaged with judiciaries of several foreign states. However, sections of the legal fraternity question why the chief justice seeks to establish frameworks for bilateral judicial cooperation with countries where courts operate under executive influence.
The superior judiciary has so far signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the highest courts of China and Turkiye. A section of lawyers believes the executive dominates the judiciary in both countries. Former additional attorney general Waqar Rana stated, "Courts in Russia, China and Turkiye have traditionally supported authoritarian regimes in furtherance of notional and real security concerns. Courts in Pakistan have been trying to keep a balance between liberty and order, but over the past few years, there has been a trend that the balance is shifting towards order, ignoring liberty, and seemingly siding with the executive."
Further Reactions
Barrister Asad Rahim Khan commented, "Given how new rules have so restricted judicial interaction with the outside world, it's quite extraordinary that an exception be made for a trip to Russia. The state of the Russian judiciary – and its entirely compromised independence – is well-known. At a time when Pakistan is beset with the greatest judicial regression in its history, can there really be much to learn from a foreign court system that has wholly subordinated itself to its executive?"
Lawyer Faisal Siddiqi stated that with this conference, "the judiciary has achieved its rightful place within the world of autocratic legalism, i.e. weak courts within a dominating executive branch."
Official Stance
The Supreme Court statement reaffirmed the delegation's participation as a commitment to judicial diplomacy, international cooperation, and the promotion of an independent, efficient, accessible, and technology-enabled justice system through sustained collaboration with partner judiciaries.
