Judicial Commission of Pakistan's new rules made public

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) officially repealed the Rules 2010 and introduced new rules titled Judicial Commission of (Appointment of Judges) Rules 2024 which have been made public after receiving approval.

According to the new rules, the JCP will have a secretariat, which will be established in the Supreme Court building in Islamabad or at a location designated by the chairperson. The secretariat will maintain all records of the commission.

The commission will ensure that appointments are made based on merit, taking into account factors such as professional competence, experience, integrity, and impartiality. When evaluating candidates, the commission will consider their performance, reporting skills, integrity, and impartiality.

The JCP new rules also emphasised the importance of representation and diversity in appointments. The commission will ensure that appointments reflect a fair representation of different regions, genders, and religions.

In the appointment process, the chairperson will determine the number of vacancies and invite nominations. Any member of the commission can nominate candidates for appointment. The commission will also maintain a record of all anticipated and vacant positions and will inform the public accordingly.

The new rules also outlined the process for confirming additional judges, which will be based on their decisions, merit, ethics, integrity, and impartiality. The commission will also review cases that may not have been considered during the initial appointment process.