The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has officially issued a gazette notification announcing amendments to its rules, now known as the Judicial Commission Rules 2024, replacing the 2010 framework.
Under the new rules, the previous Judicial Commission Rules 2010 are repealed, but decisions made under them remain valid and protected. The amended rules were approved at a JCP meeting held on December 21, chaired by Supreme Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
Key updates include the removal of the mandatory medical test for additional judges. The commission now has the discretion to either request or waive intelligence reports for candidates being considered for the position of additional judge.
For the appointment of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice, three candidates will be proposed for consideration, with the requirement to provide reasons if the senior-most judge is not selected.
In Supreme Court Chief Justice appointments, high courts will now recommend five judges for consideration.
The merit of candidates for judicial appointments will be assessed according to the criteria set in the Constitution’s oath of office. Factors such as professional qualifications, legal ability, conduct, efficiency, integrity, and independence will be considered. Additionally, fair representation of both advocates and judicial officers will be ensured during nominations. For judicial officers, seniority in judicial service may also be factored in, alongside fitness as per the prescribed criteria. No member, except for the Chief Justice of a High Court, will be allowed to directly contact a judicial officer to initiate their nomination.
