Yahya Afridi: JCP to Elevate Judges Amid Controversy
The JCP's meeting is expected to have significant implications for the judiciary, with the appointment of new judges to the Supreme Court and the resolution of the IHC seniority issue hanging in the balance, and the outcome will likely be closely watched by the legal community and the public alike.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will convene on Monday to consider elevating eight high court judges to the Supreme Court, despite calls to defer the meeting and concerns over the seniority of judges, particularly in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which has sparked debates within the legal community regarding judicial appointments and seniority criteria.
Four Supreme Court judges and a JCP member had written to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi requesting a postponement, citing the need to address outstanding court challenges to the 26th Constitutional Amendment and the recent transfer of judges. However, the JCP is expected to proceed with its agenda, which includes approving the elevation of chief justices from the Islamabad, Sindh, Balochistan, and Peshawar High Courts, as well as two judges from the Sindh and Peshawar High Courts.
The Pakistan Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association, and provincial bars have expressed support for the JCP and the 26th Constitutional Amendment, while some lawyers have announced a token protest at the Supreme Court to defend the independence of the judiciary. Senator Barrister Ali Zafar has also requested Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to postpone the JCP meeting until the matter of the IHC judges' seniority is resolved.
The controversy surrounding the seniority of IHC judges has sparked a heated debate within the legal community, with some arguing that the recent transfers and reshuffling of the high court's seniority list undermine the independence of the judiciary. The JCP's decision to proceed with the meeting has been met with opposition from some quarters, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
