Supreme Court Strengthens Constitutional Bench with New Judges

ISLAMABAD: Following approval from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), Justice Aqeel Abbasi and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi have been appointed to the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench.

The commission, under the leadership of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, convened at the Supreme Court on Thursday to deliberate on the nomination of these two justices for the Constitutional Bench. All members of the commission were present during the session.

According to a formal statement released by the Supreme Court, Justice Abbasi and Justice Najafi were nominated for the constitutional bench by a majority vote. With these additions, the bench’s total membership now reaches 15.

Reports indicate that Justice Abbassi’s nomination received eight votes, while Justice Najafi secured two votes from the commission.

Sources further reveal that Barrister Gohar Ali and Barrister Senator Ali Zafar, representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the commission, chose not to participate in the voting process for the nominated judges.

Information suggests that the PTI members emphasized the need for established protocols before inducting judges into the constitutional bench. Furthermore, the PTI representatives reportedly suggested Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Shahid Waheed based on their seniority.

In a separate event, a full court session was conducted at the Supreme Court on Thursday, presided over by CJP Afridi. Discussions encompassed recommendations from the Pakistan Bar Council concerning the registration of former high court judges as Supreme Court advocates, the entitlement to information access, the asset declaration process, and the proposed Supreme Court Rules for 2025. Suitable directives were subsequently issued.

The judges present offered their candid and valuable insights. The assembly specifically lauded the efforts of the Supreme Court Rules Amendment Committee and the registrar’s office.

A consensus was reached to promptly schedule another full court gathering to bolster the ongoing reform initiatives within the Supreme Court.