In a significant move to reform judicial accountability, Pakistan’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of its operational framework, unanimously resolving to establish a special committee to draft new procedural rules and adopting interim inquiry guidelines.
The decision was made during a high-level session convened at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, signaling a concerted effort to enhance the clarity and consistency of the council’s functions.
A three-member panel has been constituted to formulate the new regulations. This committee includes Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Aalia Neelum. The group is tasked with preparing draft rules that will govern the SJC’s business and procedures as mandated under Article 209(10) of the Constitution.
While the new framework is being developed, the Council has provisionally adopted the Supreme Judicial Council Procedure of Inquiry, 2025. This interim measure was also approved unanimously to ensure that the council’s proceedings continue without ambiguity until the permanent regulations are finalized and implemented.
The pivotal meeting saw the participation of Pakistan’s top judicial figures. The session was attended by Justice Aminuddin Khan, Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan, along with Supreme Court Justices Munib Akhtar and Jamal Khan Mandokhail, who joined via video link.
Other prominent attendees included Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi of the Federal Constitutional Court, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum (participating remotely), and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar.