The Islamabad High Court has submitted a set of unanimous recommendations to the Supreme Court, addressing the protocol for judges who experience interference in their judicial duties.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued recommendations in response to the concerns of six judges who approached the Supreme Judicial Council regarding intelligence agencies’ interference in judicial matters. These recommendations aim to address and formalize the process for handling such intrusions to uphold the judiciary’s autonomy and integrity.
Central to these recommendations is a draft amendment to enhance the judges’ code of conduct to address and institutionalize the response to interference better. The draft, which extends over six to seven pages, introduces a stipulation that mandates lower judiciary judges to report any interference within seven days, treating failure to do so as potential misconduct.
Under the proposed framework, civil and session judges are required to report any incidents of interference directly to the High Court’s inspection judge. This inspection judge would then escalate the issue to the High Court Chief Justice.
The High Court’s Administrative Committee would subsequently adjudicate decisions on reported interferences. Moreover, the High Court would retain the authority to invoke contempt of court measures based on an institutional consensus, ensuring a robust mechanism to safeguard judicial integrity.
