ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice has sought performance reports from the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the provincial high courts regarding the details of cases and references filed against judicial officers in the past 10 years.
The disclosure was made by the law secretary in Tuesday’s hearing of the committee. A letter from the Law Ministry had gone to both the SJC and the countries high courts asking for performance data regarding cases against judicial officers before the committee’s meeting on Tuesday.
The agenda for the committee meeting on Tuesday as per the letter included “Details of the cases pending in the High Courts and the SJC against the judicial officers and the honourable Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan respectively.”
Also on the agenda were “details of the cases/references filed and disposed by the SJC during the last 10 years.” The letter went on to ask for the details on top priority basis so that a brief for onward transmission to the committee could be prepared.
A similar letter demanding details of cases and references against judges was also sent to the registrars of the Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Sindh and Balochistan High Courts.
According to Supreme Court Advocate Umer Gillani, who has been attending the meetings of the committee on special invitation, the move is “a courageous step by the Senate and Federal Government for judicial accountability.
“The Senate also acknowledged the efforts made by lawyer leaders including Raheel Kamran Sheikh who have been striving for years to make the institution of the judiciary more transparent and accountable” he went on to say.
Yesterday, the Federal Govt. wrote to Supreme Judicial Council (and other big-wigs of the judiciary) seeking performance data. Disclosure made by Law Secretary in today’s hearing of Senate Standing Committee on Law. Courageous step by Senate and FG for judicial accountability pic.twitter.com/9u4yLzzuFh
— Umer Gilani (@umergilani_lums) January 22, 2019
