SJC allows judges to attend political, diplomatic functions with prior approval

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which approved amendments to the Code of Conduct for judges in its June 11 meeting, decided to allow judges of the superior courts to attend or preside over political or diplomatic functions after obtaining prior permission from the relevant chief justices.

Presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the June 11 SJC meeting decided to make certain amendments to the Code of Conduct for judges while considering the draft Rules Regulating Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Council.

The SJC meeting was also attended by Chief Justice Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Justice Aminuddin as well as the chief justices of Lahore and Peshawar high courts.

According to an official announcement issued here on Saturday, one of the amendments made to the code provides that judges of the superior courts shall abstain from attending or presiding over any political or diplomatic functions, except with the permission of the relevant chief justices.

Earlier, Article XII of the Code of Conduct had imposed a complete ban on judges of the superior courts from attending or presiding over any social, cultural, political or diplomatic functions.

Likewise, in the definition of “superior court”, the newly established FCC has also been included, as a result of which the title of the Code of Conduct will now read: “Code of Conduct for Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Courts.” Earlier, the FCC was not included in the title.

Similarly, amendments have also been made in Article XV, which requires the judges to decide cases before them on merit alone, possess moral integrity and intellectual capacity to resist internal or external influence, and, where legal powers are lacking, seek an immediate institutional response.

“Judges must promptly inform, in writing, the CJP and the four most senior Supreme Court judges (via the registrar) of any such attempts (to influence); high court judges must also inform their respective chief justices.”

The amendment suggests that judges shall immediately inform, in writing, the chief justice of the relevant high court, the chief justice of Pakistan, the chief justice of the FCC or the Supreme Court, and the two senior-most judges each of the FCC and the Supreme Court through the respective registrars, in case such attempts to influence are made.

In the case of the FCC or the Supreme Court, the judge shall immediately inform, in writing, the chief justice and the four senior-most judges of the relevant court through the respective registrars.

The chief justice of the high court will place the matter before a committee comprising three judges within two days of the report by the judges.

The committee’s decision on the report will be made within a fortnight. In case it is referred for judicial determination, it should be decided as early as possible, in accordance with the principles of fair trial and due process.

If the chief justice or, in the case of the high court, the committee, as the case may be, fails to respond within the stipulated timeframe, the FCC or the Supreme Court, as the case may be, which was informed by the judge, shall take up the matter.

Earlier, the FCC was included in Article XV of the Code of Conduct.

The FCC was established as the apex court in Pakistan after the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed in November 2025. As a result, the Supreme Court (SC) was reduced to a final appellate court for civil and criminal matters. ...