Justice Mansoor opposes role of intel agencies in judges' appointment

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Mansoor Ali Shah in another letter to the Judicial Commission has given his overall opinion over the rules with regard to appointment of judges, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Justice Shah in his letter to the Secretary Judicial Commission has opposed getting report from the intelligence agency in judges’ appointment. “The role to the intelligence agency in appointment of judges can be misused,” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah writes.

“Already the executive enjoying majority in the judicial commission. I have already clarified my position with regard to the 26th Amendment,” Justice Shah said.

He suggested constitution of the full court to review the 26th Amendment. There must be a mechanism of appointment of judges for the constitutional bench, senior supreme court judge said.

“A judge has made how many decisions of interpretation of the constitution, can be one of the parameters for posting in the constitutional bench,” he suggested.

He also proposed mechanism to decide the number of judges in the constitutional bench.

Justice Shah has written that the Commission has constituted constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court without setting parameters. “My opinion has been conditioned with deciding constitutional position of the amendment and the commission,” Justice Shah said.

“A judge takes oath of protection and defence of the constitution. The rules of judges’ appointment must reflect it,” letter read.

It is to be mentioned here that the Judicial Commission meets today with an agenda of extension in the term of the constitutional bench. The constitutional bench’s term will expire on January 04 in the next year.

Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) rules-making committee Justice Jamal Mandokhail, responding to previous letter of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, said that the Judicial Commission was reconstituted after the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

He stated that the commission authorized the Chief Justice to form a committee for framing rules. Consequently, a committee was formed under Justice Mandokhail’s chairmanship to draft the rules.

Justice Mandokhail informed Justice Shah that the committee has already held deliberations. He also stated that the suggestions proposed by Justice Shah have already been incorporated into the draft.

Furthermore, Justice Mandokhail mentioned that he had shared the proposed draft with Justice Shah prior to receiving his letter.