Justice Mansoor Ali Shah 'questions' judges’ seniority in letter to JCP 

ISLAMABAD: Senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has raised ‘questions’ on the seniority of judges in the recent appointment, ARY News reported, citing sources.

According to details, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has sent another letter to the Secretary of the Judicial Commission, raising serious concerns over the determination of judges’ seniority without prior consultation.

According to the sources, the letter was penned by Justice Shah ahead of a recent meeting of the Judicial Commission. In the letter, he questioned the legality and process of finalizing the seniority of judges without mandatory consultation, particularly with the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Citing constitutional provisions, Justice Shah stated that under Article 200 of the Constitution, it was imperative for the President to consult the Chief Justice before finalizing any such decisions.

“The President unilaterally determined the seniority in haste,” the letter reportedly reads.

Read more: JCP nominates two more judges for SC constitutional benches

Justice Shah further highlighted that the matter is currently sub judice in an intra-court appeal, suggesting that any unilateral action in this regard was premature and inappropriate.

It is to be noted that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) Tuesday nominated chief justices of four pro-vincial High Courts, according to a statement issued by the Supreme Court.

According to the statement, the JCP held four consecutive meetings with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi in the chair to make a decision related to the appointments and, by a majority of its total membership in each meeting, opted to allow the acting chief justices to continue serving the top roles.