Supreme Judicial Council meets under Chief Justice Yahya Afridi

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) began on Saturday under the leadership of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. According to sources, the council is reviewing complaints filed under Article 209 of the Constitution, which pertains to the accountability and conduct of judges of the superior judiciary.

The meeting is also expected to deliberate on matters related to the code of conduct for judges, sources added.

The SJC serves as the constitutional body responsible for examining complaints and allegations of misconduct against judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Earlier in September, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, along with other judges, had filed petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the administrative authority of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice. The petitions contend that administrative powers cannot override judicial functions, arguing that the IHC Chief Justice lacks the authority to alter constituted benches, remove available judges from the roster, or bar them from performing judicial duties.

They further asserted that a judge can only be stopped from working under Article 209 of the Constitution. The judges had also sought the Supreme Court’s intervention to declare recent administrative actions — including the formation of committees and approval of procedural rules — as unlawful, maintaining that benches can only be constituted under rules framed in accordance with Article 202.

Roster issued

The Supreme Court has issued the judges’ roster and cause list for the coming week, announcing the formation of eight regular benches.

Bench No. 1 will be headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and include Justice Shafi Muhammad Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. Bench No. 2 comprises Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, while Bench No. 3 includes Justice Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Ayesha Malik.

An eight-member special constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, will hear the case pertaining to the 26th Constitutional Amendment. Justice Aminuddin will also head Bench No. 4, which includes Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Shahid Bilal Hassan.

Bench No. 5 consists of Justices Athar Minallah, Irfan Saadat Khan, and Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan. Bench No. 6 includes Justices Shahid Waheed and Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Bench No. 7 has Justices Musarrat Hilali and Salahuddin Panhwar, and Bench No. 8 will feature Justices Muhammad Hashim Kakar, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, and Ali Baqar Najafi.

During the upcoming week, the Supreme Court will also hear significant cases, including petitions related to the super tax, the 26th Constitutional Amendment, and the Hajj scandal.