- SC dismisses petition pertaining to seniority of additional judges of LHC
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday dismissed the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s additional judges’ seniority case, saying that the seniority of high court judges would be reckoned from the order and date of their appointment as additional judges of their respective courts.
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, comprising Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, resumed hearing of the constitutional petition under Article 184 of the Constitution regarding seniority of the judges of LHC.
The court in its order observed that seniority of additional judges of a high court appointed vide the same order and date shall reckon from their seniority in age.
If appointment of two or more service candidates is simultaneously made with that of the candidates from the Bar, the service judges would retain their existing seniority in the department regardless of their age, though that would be the determining factor in respect of their seniority vis-à-vis the candidates from the Bar, court remarked.
The court also said that the principle has consistently been followed without exception ever since the establishment of high courts in Pakistan and is even otherwise in accord with the equitable dispensation of justice.
