Senior LHC judge decides to hang up the robe

LAHORE:

In a significant development for the country's judicial landscape, Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza has tendered his resignation, reportedly in protest against the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

According to the reports, Justice Mirza has sent his resignation to President Asif Ali Zardari and has vacated his chamber at the high court.

His departure marks the first high-profile judicial resignation linked to the controversial constitutional amendment, which has sparked debate across legal and political circles.

Justice Mirza's resignation comes amid rumours of his transfer to some other high court under the new amendment, a possibility that has generated considerable concern within judicial quarters.

The judge was a member of the LHC's administrative committee, a role that placed him among the key decision-makers within the high court. He was appointed as an additional judge of the LHC on March 22, 2014, and was later confirmed as a permanent judge.

Justice Mirza was due to retire in 2028, making his early exit particularly noteworthy.

The judge came from a distinguished judicial family. He is the son of former Supreme Court judge Zia Mahmood Mirza, a respected figure in Pakistan's judiciary. Earlier this year, in January, a reference was filed against Justice Mirza in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

His resignation is being viewed as a reflection of growing unease within sections of the judiciary regarding the impact of the 27th Constitutional Amendment—particularly concerning judicial independence and potential transfers of judges.

Two Supreme Court judges—Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah—have already tendered their resignation in the wake of the passage of the amendment. There are also reports of the possible resignation of an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge.