Report on 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 presented in Senate

ISLAMABAD: Senator Farooq H Naek presented a report of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice on the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 in Senate.

While presenting the report, Senator Naek said that several changes have been made to the bill and the committee has approved the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court.

He further said that all provinces will have equal representation in the proposed Constitutional Court.

He said that the committee recommended that judges who have served in the high court for five to seven years should be appointed to the Constitutional Court apart from one technocrat.

Senator Naek said that the committee retained the suo motu power but made it conditional upon a petition — if an application is filed and the Constitutional Court deems it necessary, the case will be heard.

Senator Naek, who is also the chairman of the standing committee, further said that an amendment regarding the transfer of judges has also been proposed. The procedure for transfer will now be made through the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and carried out under its prescribed conditions.

He said that if a judge refuses a transfer, a reference will be filed seeking explanation for refusal. If the reasons are found unsatisfactory, the judge will be considered retired.

He further said that the clause granting lifetime immunity to the president has been amended—if the president holds a public office, the immunity will cease and it will be restored once the public office ends.

Senator Naek said that the committee recommended that the National Assembly speaker may nominate a member for the Judicial Commission, who may be a woman, a non-Muslim, or a technocrat.

He also informed the house that the committee inserted a clause stating that if a case is not decided within a year, the stay order will automatically stand vacated.