ISLAMABAD : The first meeting of Judicial Commission constituted for the appointment of judges in higher judiciary was held under the Chairmanship of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at Supreme Court building here on Saturday.The Judicial Commission approved the 2010 rules and regulations draft for the judges’ appointment in higher judiciary.According to the draft, Chief Justice will recommend the names for the appointment of judges at the apex court, Federal Shariat Court and chief justices of the High Courts.According to the rules, the Commission will have authority to get information and record about any person or department. It was decided that only Chief Justice being its Chairman could call the meeting of the commission.
Chief Justices of Federal Shariat Court and High Courts, federal and provincial law ministers, Attorney General, provincial Advocate Generals and Bar Councils representatives attended the meeting.The Commission was set up under 18th Constitutional for the appointment of judges’ in the higher judiciary.The CJ Chaudhry addressing the participants of the meeting said that the Commission is presently functioning under interim order of the court and Article of the Constitution, adding that collective wisdom will have to be tapped in for decisions and the responsibility of judges’ appointments will be conducted in transparent and agreeable manner.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that he hopes the Parliament will review the problems and concerns of judiciary about new system of judges’ appointment.
Commission approved that Registrar of the SC Dr Faqir Hussain will be Secretary of the JC and that every JC meeting will be held in-camera and record of its proceedings would be kept. It was decided that secretary will send the recommendations of Commission to Parliamentary Committee.Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said that new system of judges’ appointment is pending in SC as well as in Parliament.He said that this responsibility of judges’ appointment would be fulfilled keeping in view all the norms of justice and collective conscience. He said that 17-member bench of SC heard the 18th Amendment case for four months and announced the decision based on collective wisdom.
The CJP said that it was the first time a number of judges’ were gathered under one roof, adding that the nation has pinned high hopes with us that how we will fulfill our responsibility, he added.He said that judges’ are here due to 18th Amendment and SC verdict, and we will try our best to introduce better judicial system.Chief justices of all high courts and Federal Shariat Court, Federal Law Minister and Attorney General of Pakistan attended the meeting of Judicial Commission while Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan could not attend the meeting due to foreign visit – Sananews
