Justice Mansoor Ali Shah opposes extension of constitutional bench term

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s senior puisne judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, has opposed the extension of the constitutional bench’s term, ARY News reported.

According to a letter he wrote before the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting on June 19, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah urged that no extension be granted until the 26th Constitutional Amendment case is resolved, warning that doing so would deepen the institutional crisis and erode public trust in the judiciary’s credibility.

In the letter, shared with JCP members, Justice Shah stated he had informed the JCP of his unavailability for the June 19 meeting, expecting it to be postponed, as had occurred in the past when executive members were absent.

He said that the meeting proceeded because judicial members are now in the minority. He proposed declaring all Supreme Court judges part of the constitutional bench until the 26th amendment’s verdict and establishing clear criteria for bench nominations to ensure transparency.

Also read: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah responds to govt’s ‘reference plans’

It is worth mentioning here that Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan’s Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah earlier took oath as acting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

Justice Ayesha A. Malik administered the oath to Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in a ceremony held at the Supreme Court building. The ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges and senior lawyers.

Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who was abroad to perform Hajj, was scheduled to return to Pakistan on June 10, 2025.

Previously, with Justice Shah overseas, Justice Munib Akhtar had been acting as Chief Justice until June 6.