Judicial Reform in Motion: Parliament Submits Names for New Judicial Commission to Supreme Court
The formation of a Judicial Commission for appointing judges to the better judiciary has won momentum. This development occurred because the National Assembly and Senate officially submitted the names of their parliamentarians to the Supreme Court.
In a directive issued by Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, he tasked the Registrar of the Supreme Court with forwarding the nominations for the Judicial Commission. This followed consultations with Leader of the House Senator Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition Senator Shibli Faraz.
Key Nominees from Parliament
The nominees include of key figures such as Senator Farooq H. Naek, who represents the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Senator Shibli Faraz from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ensuring representation from both government and competition benches.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has also been in communication with the Supreme Judicial Commission, presenting names from various parliamentary parties. Among the nominees from the National Assembly are opposition leader Omar Ayub and Sheikh Aftab from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with Roshan Khorasani Brocha, who fills the reserved women’s seat.
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Legislative Progress
With the approval of the 26th Amendment, the Judicial Commission will now consist of five parliament members. The Secretary of the Judicial Commissionwill finalize all nominations. This step marks a significant move toward ensuring equal representation from both government and opposition factions.
In consultations before finalizing the nominees, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq engaged with Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani and all parliamentary parties. This process resulted in a list of names that the Supreme Court received . The recently amended Article 175-A stipulates that the 13-member judicial commission will include the Chief Justice, three senior judges of the Supreme Court, the most senior judge from the constitutional benches, the law minister, the attorney general for Pakistan, a representative from the Pakistan Bar Council, two members from both the National Assembly and Senate, and one woman or non-Muslim from outside parliament. This commission will be responsible for the appointments of judges in the Supreme Court, high court, and federal Shariat Court.
Commitment to Balanced Representation
Key nominees confirmed by the National Assembly spokesperson include Omar Ayub and PML-N’s Sheikh Aftab Ahmed from the National Assembly, while Senators Farooq Naek (PPP) and Shibli Faraz (PTI) represent the Senate. Additionally, Roshan Khursheed Bharucha will occupy the commission’s women’s seat.
The spokesperson stated, All nominations have been forwarded to the Secretary of the Judicial Commission, highlighting the commitment to a balanced representation within the newly constituted Judicial Commission. This commission will oversee judicial appointments and the establishment of constitutional benches for the apex court.
A Critical Role in Judicial Reform
The implementation of the 26th Amendment means that five parliamentarians will now join the Judicial Commission, which will also include five judges, led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, alongside a representative from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC). This improved commission is poised to play a critical function in choosing advanced court docket judges, aligning with ongoing judicial reform efforts aimed toward improving transparency and representation within the judiciary.
Furthermore, the Senate Standing Committee on Justice permitted a bill to increase the range of judges within the Supreme Court from 17 to 25, despite going through opposition from PTI and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).
As of today, the nominations have efficiently reached the Supreme Court, and the newly formed Judicial Commission is anticipated to start deliberations on upcoming judicial appointments and case allocations in the near future.
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