DNA
Hinting at bringing constitutional amendments to change the traditional approach to selecting judges for the Supreme Court as well as high courts, Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Friday said that they wanted to establish a “balance” in the system.
His remarks came as a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) was held today with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the chair to discuss proposed amendments to its 2010 rules. The law minister was among the attendees of the huddle.
The amendments are aimed at ending the automatic elevation of high court chief justices to the top court and the appointment of the most senior judge as the chief justice of high courts.
In a statement, the federal minister said that the status of the Parliamentary Committee on Judicial Appointments was not more than a “rubber stamp” following the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
He further said that there should be a “balance” in the appointment of the judges.
Referring to the proposals circulating on social media platforms about the chief justice’s term, the minister said: “I will not completely reject proposals regarding the tenure of the chief justice.”
According to media reports, the government was mulling that the tenure of the chief justice should be for a fixed term, besides judicial reforms.
In the 18th Amendment, there was a balance in the appointment of judges, the law minister added.
