Pakistan judges may attend political functions with prior approval

Pakistan's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has amended the Code of Conduct for judges, allowing superior court judges to attend or preside over political or diplomatic functions, provided they obtain prior permission from the relevant chief justices. The decision was made during an SJC meeting on June 11, which was chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.

Previously, Article XII of the Code of Conduct imposed a complete ban on judges of superior courts from participating in any social, cultural, political, or diplomatic events. The amendments also formally include the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in the definition of "superior court," changing the title of the code to "Code of Conduct for Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Courts."

Further amendments were made to Article XV, which emphasizes that judges must decide cases on merit, possess moral integrity, and resist external influence. Judges are now required to promptly inform the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the four most senior Supreme Court judges, or their respective chief justices in the case of high court judges, in writing, about any attempts to influence them. For the FCC or Supreme Court, judges must inform the chief justice and the four most senior judges of the court through the respective registrars.

A committee of three judges will review such reports within two days, with a decision to be made within a fortnight. If judicial determination is required, it should be decided as early as possible, adhering to principles of fair trial and due process.