The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) rules committee has proposed a set of recommendations for streamlining and evolving criteria for appointing judges to the superior courts.
The JCP held a panel earlier this month to consider amending the JCP Rules of 2010 which grant the chief justice unfettered powers to appoint judges.
The appointment of judges to the superior court became a national debate earlier this year, during the nomination and appointment of Pakistan's first female judge to the Supreme Court, Justice Ayesha Malik.
The seniority principle, which stipulates that nominations should be awarded to the most senior judge, was a fulcrum in the debate over Justice Malik’s nomination. The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) was a vocal appointment to Justice Malik's appointment and threatened to strike over the fact that Justice Malik was only the fourth in seniority in the LHC, while women’s judicial rights activists argued that seniority has ‘no legal basis.‘
The Women In Law Initiative Pakistan released its own proposal for judicial appointments reform. The main features of the proposal called for a paradigm shift from a nominations-based to an applications-based model; a points-based system per application; a wider pool of candidates; publicly declared commitment to gender diversity and inclusion; and for the standing committee to render support to improve the pipeline of diverse candidates and to be more inclusive.
The JCP held a panel earlier this month to consider amending the JCP Rules of 2010 which grant the chief justice unfettered powers to appoint judges.
The appointment of judges to the superior court became a national debate earlier this year, during the nomination and appointment of Pakistan's first female judge to the Supreme Court, Justice Ayesha Malik.
The seniority principle, which stipulates that nominations should be awarded to the most senior judge, was a fulcrum in the debate over Justice Malik’s nomination. The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) was a vocal appointment to Justice Malik's appointment and threatened to strike over the fact that Justice Malik was only the fourth in seniority in the LHC, while women’s judicial rights activists argued that seniority has ‘no legal basis.‘
The Women In Law Initiative Pakistan released its own proposal for judicial appointments reform. The main features of the proposal called for a paradigm shift from a nominations-based to an applications-based model; a points-based system per application; a wider pool of candidates; publicly declared commitment to gender diversity and inclusion; and for the standing committee to render support to improve the pipeline of diverse candidates and to be more inclusive.