Pakistan’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has amended the judicial code of conduct to permit judges of the superior courts to attend political and diplomatic functions, provided they obtain approval from the relevant chief justice. The changes were approved by the council and released on Saturday, marking a significant shift from the previous prohibition.
Amendment Details
The revised code states: “The Judges of the superior courts would abstain from presiding/attending any political and diplomatic functions except with the permission of relevant Chief Justice.” The earlier version barred judges from attending social, cultural, political, and diplomatic events. The new provision no longer mentions social and cultural events, indicating a broader relaxation of restrictions on judges’ public appearances.
Context of the Change
The amendment is part of a wider revision of the code following recent changes to Pakistan’s judicial structure, including the creation of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). The SJC, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, approved the amendments on June 11 and made them public through a press release on Saturday.
The council also updated various provisions to incorporate the FCC into procedures governing judicial conduct and reporting of attempts to influence court proceedings. The code’s title was changed from “Code of Conduct for Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts” to “Code of Conduct for Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Courts.”
Background
The FCC was established under constitutional reforms enacted in recent years to handle constitutional matters previously decided by the Supreme Court. This restructuring necessitated updates to the code of conduct to ensure consistency across all superior courts.
