Appointment of Judges of the superior Courts in Pakistan

Article 175A. Appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court, High Courts and the Federal Shariat Court

(1) There shall be a Judicial Commission of Pakistan, hereinafter in this Article referred to as the Commission, for appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and the Federal Shariat Court, as hereinafter provided.

(2) For appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court, the Commission shall consist of—

(i) Chief Justice of Pakistan; Chairman
(ii) [four] most senior Judges of the Supreme Court;Member
(iii) a former Chief Justice or a former Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to be nominated by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in consultation with the [four] member Judges, for a term of two years; Member
(iv) Federal Minister for Lawand Justice;Member
(v) Attorney-General for Pakistan; and Member
(vi) a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council for a term of two years.Member

(3) Nowithstanding anything contained in clause (1) or clause (2), the President shall appoint the most senior Judge of the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

(4) The Commission may make rules regulating its procedure.

(5) For appointment of Judges of a High Court, the Commission in clause (2) shall also include the following, namely:-

(i) Chief Justice of the High Court to which the appointment is being made; Member
(ii) the most senior Judge of that High Court; Member
(iii) Provincial Minister for Law; and Member
1[(iv) an advocate having not less than fifteen year practice in the High Court to be nominated by the concerned Bar Council for a term of two years:] Member
2[Provided that for appointment of the Chief Justice of a High Court the most Senior Judge mentioned in paragraph (ii) shall not be member of the Commission:
Provided further that if for any reason the Chief Justice of High Court is not available, he shall be subtitued by a former Chief Justice or former Judge of that Court,to be nominated by the Chief Justice of Pakistan in consultation with the four member judges of the Commission mentioned in paragraph (ii) of clause (2).]

(6) For appointment of judges of the Islamabad High Court, the Commission in clause (2) shall also include the following, namely:-

(i) Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court; and Member
(ii) most senior Judge of that High Court:Member

Provided that for initial appointment of the [Chief Justice and the] Judges of the Islamabad High Court, the Chief Justices of the four Provincial High Courts shall also be members of the Commission.

Provided further that subject to the foregoing proviso, in case of appointment of Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, the provisos to clause (5) shall, mutatis mutandis, apply.

(7) For appointment of Judges of the Federal Shariat Court, the Commission in clause (2) shall also include the Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court and the most senior Judge of that Court as its members:

Provided that for appointment of Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court, the provisos to clause (5) shall, mutatis mutandis, apply.

(8) The Commission by majority of its total membership shall nominate to the Parliamentary Committee one person, for each vacancy of a Judge in the Supreme Court, a High Court or the Federal Shariat Court, as the case may be;

(9) The Parliamentary Committee, hereinafter in this Article referred to as the Committee, shall consist of the following eight members, namely:-

(i) four members from the Senate; and
(ii) four members from the National Assembly.

Provided that when the National Assembly is dissolved,the total membership of the parliamentary Committee shall consist of the members from the Senate only mentioned in paragraph (i) and the provisions of this Article shall,mutatis mutandis,apply.

(10) Out of the eight members of the Committee, four shall be from the Treasury Benches, two from each House and four from the Opposition Benches, two from each House. The nomination of members from the Treasury Benches shall be made by the Leader of the House and from the Opposition Benches by the Leader of the Opposition.

(11) Secretary, Senate shall act as the Secretary of the Committee.

(12) The Committee on receipt of a nomination from the Commission may confirm the nominee by majority of its total membership within fourteen days, failing which the nomination shall be deemed to have been confirmed:

Provided that the Committee for reasons to be recorded ,may not confirm the nomination by three-fourth majority of its total membership within the said period.

Provided further that if a nomination is not confirmed by the Committee it shall forward its decision with reasons so recorded to the Commission through the Prime Minister.

Provided further that if a nomination is not confirmed, the Commission shall send another nomination.

(13) The Committee shall send the name of the nominee confirmed by it or deemed to have been confirmed to the Prime Minister who shall forward the same to the President for appointment.

(14) No action or decision taken by the Commission or a Committee shall be invalid or called in question only on the ground of the existence of a vacancy therein or of the absence of any member from any meeting thereof.

(15) The meetings of the Committee shall be held in camera and the record of its proceedings shall be maintained.

(16) The provisions of Article 68 shall not apply to the proceedings of the Committee.

(17) The Committee may make rules for regulating its procedure.

JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN RULES, 2010
TO BE PUBLISHED IN JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN
EXTRAORDINARY

PART – II OF THE – – – – – – –
GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN

Islamabad, November 6, 2010.

NOTIFICATION

S.R.O. 122(KE)/2010. – In exercise of powers conferred by clause (4) of Article 175A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan is pleased to make the following rules, namely, –

1. Short title and commencement. – (1) These rules may be called the Judicial Commission of Pakistan Rules, 2010.
(2) These rules shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions. – (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, –

(a) “Chairman” means Chairman of the Commission;
(b) “Commission” means the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, established under Article 175A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
(c) “Committee” means a Committee constituted by the Chairman from amongst the members of the Commission;
(d) “Member” means a member of the Commission; and
(e) “Secretary” means the Registrar Supreme Court or any other person authorized as such by the Chairman.

3. Nominations for Appointments. (1) For each anticipated or actual vacancy of a Judge in the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court, the Chief Justice of Pakistan shall initiate nominations in the Commission for appointment against such vacancy.

(2) For each anticipated or actual vacancy of a Judge in the Federal Shariat Court or Judge in the High Court, the Chief Justice of the respective Court shall initiate and send nomination for appointment against such vacancy to the Chairman for convening meeting of the Commission.

4. The Chairman shall regulate the proceedings of the Commission.

5. Proceedings of the Commission. – (1) Whenever a nomination is received under Rule 3, the Chairman shall call a meeting of the Commission on a date, time and place determined by him and notified by the Secretary to each member.

(2) The Commission may call for any information or record required by it from any person or authority for the purposes of carrying out its functions.

(3) The Secretary shall forward the nominations made by the Commission to the Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee constituted under clause (9) of Article 175A of the Constitution.

(4) The proceedings of the Commission shall be held in camera. A record of the proceedings shall be prepared and maintained by the Secretary duly certified by the Chairman under his hand.

6. The Chairman may constitute one or more committees of members for such purpose as may be deemed necessary.

7. A retired Chief Justice or retired Judge Supreme Court and a retired Chief Justice or a retired Judge of High Court, while attending a session of the Commission, shall be entitled to TA/DA and accommodation as admissible to Judge of Supreme Court, or Judge of High Court, as the case may be.

8. Relaxation of Rules. – Without prejudice to the foregoing, the Chairman may relax strict application of these rules in the public interest.

By Order of the Commission

(Dr.Faqir Hussain)
Secretary,
Judicial Commission of Pakistan.