Appointment of judges: Justice Sheiks unable to hear petition

LAHORE: Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday refused to hear a petition seeking appointment of judges in high courts through a written test and interview after advertising the posts. When the court took up the case on Monday, the judge informed the petitioner’s lawyer AK Dogar that he was unable to hear the case. He said he was a member of a judicial commission for the appointment of judges in the country’s higher and superior judiciary and as such it would be inappropriate for him to hear the petition.   Justice Sheikh returned the petition to the LHC chief so that it could be fixed for another bench. The petition was filed in the third week of February. On February 26, the LHC registrar’s office had raised objection to the petition. Those were removed by Justice Sheikh. However, on Monday, the judge excused himself from hearing the petition. The Lawyers Foundation through its President Syed Feroz Shah Gilani moved the petition which submitted that the appointment of judges in high courts and the Supreme Court without giving written and psychological test and interview was a violation of merit. The petition said that eligible lawyers became disheartened when posts for judges in higher judiciary were not advertised and filled instead by a selection process disallowing many worthy candidates from competing for the slots.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2013.