High-level committee proposes amendments to JCP rules

ISLAMABAD: The high-level committee constituted to Review Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) rules 2010 has proposed amendments in various areas.

The meeting of the Committee was held on 16th December,2023, under the co-chairmanship of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice (Retired) Manzoor Ahmed Malik with mandate to propose such rules of procedure for the Commission in making appointments of the Judges of the Constitutional Courts of the country, that comply with the collegial and inclusive decision-making process enshrined in Article 175-A of the Constitution, said a press release issued on Thursday.

The important areas of consideration for proposing amendments in the 2010 Rules includes, process for convening meetings of the Commission and making decisions therein, initiation of nomination(s) in the Supreme Court, initiation of nomination(s) in the High Courts, adequate representation of the District Judiciary and the Bar for elevation, diversity, criteria for selection for appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court and the High Courts, confirmation of Additional Judges in the High Courts and establishment of a Secretariat of the Commission, appointment of the Secretary and other staff thereto.

The co-chairs empowered “co-opt any person to the Committee” decided in the meeting on 16th December 2023, to co-opt following persons to the Committee to ensure adequate representation of females and the District Judiciary, as well as adding a public sector governance expert, to send in their proposals/recommendations to the Committee.

The meeting was also attended by Mrs. Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Judge SC, Ms. Justice Musarrat Hilali, Judge SC, Mrs. Justice Kausar Sultana Hussain, Judge High Court of Sindh, Ms. Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, Judge IHC, Justice (Retired) Syeda Tahira Safdar, former Chief Justice High Court of Balochistan, Ms. Mahrukh Aziz, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) Punjab, Hayat Ali Shah, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imdad Hussain Khoso, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) Sindh, Rashid Mehmood, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) Balochistan, Ms. Hina Jilani, Advocate SC, Ms. Reema Omer, Legal Advisor International Commission of Jurists and public sector governance expert Rafiullah Kakar.