Bars oppose judges’ appointments during last days of CJP’s tenure

ISLAMABAD: With Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa set to retire on December 20, bar associations in the higher judiciary have taken the stance that no judge should be appointed in the superior courts during the last month of his tenure.

Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Syed Amjad Shah, while referring to rumours regarding contemplated move by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan to appoint additional judges, recalled that as per well-established tradition no appointment of judges of high courts “is considered and dealt with when the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan is nearing his retirement”.

“Instead it is always thought appropriate to leave such matters of vital importance for the next chief justice,” he added.

He also referred the case of Yasin Azad, the then member of the JCP, narrating that even CJP Asif Saeed Khan Khosa was also of the same view while attending the proceedings of a meeting of the commission.

The PBC; therefore, urged the chief justice of Pakistan, who is also the JCP chairman, that as the propriety demands and in view of well-settled tradition, the matter of appointment of judges of any high court, should not be taken up and considered by the commission during the last month of his tenure.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Syed Qalbe Hassan has also endorsed the concerns raised by the PBC vice-chairman.

It is learnt that a JCP meeting has been summoned on November 21 to consider appointments of three judges to the Islamabad High Court.