Latest news with #SJC
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SJC disposes of 19 misconduct complaints
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Saturday disposed of 19 complaints filed against various high and apex courts' justices under Article 209. It also decided to defer proceedings on five other complaints lodged by different individuals. The SJCthe constitutional forum that can hold superior court judges accountablemet at the Supreme Court in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Yahya Afridi. SC's Justice Munib Akhtar, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar attended the meeting. SC's senior puisne judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah also participated in the meeting through video link. According to sources, the council deliberated on the suggestion of CJP Afridi to announce names of the judges against whom complaints were disposed of. The SJC later decided to keep those names confidential. The Supreme Court's press release also did not specify which judges the five deferred complaints are against as well as the nature of the 19 resolved complaints. The council also approved the proposed draft of the Supreme Judicial Council Secretariat Service Rules 2025. However, it decided that the proposed amendments to the inquiry procedures and code of conduct required further consideration from legal and drafting perspectives. Article 209 of the Constitution deals with the composition and functions of the SJC.
Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
SJC decides 19 complaints, defers 5
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), unanimously, decided 19 complaints out of 24, and deferred five for the time being. In February, the SJC had examined as many as 46 complaints against constitutional office-holders, disposed of 40 of them, sought comments on five complaints and asked for further information in one case. According to a press release, issued by PRO SC on Saturday, the Council examined 24 complaints under Article 209 of the Constitution. It said, '19 complaints were unanimously decided to be filed while five others were deferred for the time being.' The Council meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who is also Chairman of the SJC at Supreme Court, Islamabad. It was attended by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah (present through video link), Justice Munib Akhtar, Chief Justice Lahore High Court Aalia Neelum and Chief Justice Sindh High Court Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar. The sources said that during the meeting a proposal by CJP Yahya was placed before the members that action should be taken against those complainants who file frivolous applications against the judges of the superior courts in order to discourage such practice. However, the Council did not approve it, and also preferred that judges whose names are cleared by the SJC are not disclosed. The Council discussed all the agenda items one by one. The proposed draft of Supreme Judicial Council Secretariat Service Rules, 2025 was approved by the council, while it was resolved that procedure of enquiry and amendments in the Code of Conduct needed to be examined from legal and drafting point of view; therefore, these required further deliberation. Six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz, on March 25, 2024 had written a letter to the SJC against the alleged 'interference' and 'intimidation' by the 'operatives of intelligence agencies.' In their letter, they sought guidance from the SJC with regard to 'the duty of a judge to report and respond to actions on part of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies that seek to interfere with discharge of his/ her official functions and qualify as intimidation'. Former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in response to their letter held various meetings with the Supreme Court judges and even with the Prime Minister. He then formed a one-man Commission comprising ex-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to probe the allegations of the IHC judges. However, Justice Tassaduq, due to trolling on social media declined to head the commission. Ex-CJP Faez then took a suo moto and constituted a seven-member bench to examine the IHC judges' concerns. The bench conducted three hearings on it. However, Justice Yahya, who was also a member of the bench, opposed the suo moto and recused from the bench. He in his order had proposed that as the IHC judges wrote a letter to the SJC; therefore, the Council should do something about it. Justice Yahya after becoming Chief Justice of Pakistan summoned the SJC meeting, wherein Justice Munib was appointed as head of a committee to propose amendments to the code of conduct. The sources said, in today's (July 12) Council meeting, Justice Munib tabled a comprehensive report in that regard. The Council members after examining the report resolved that the procedure of enquiry and amendments in the Code of Conduct needed to be examined from legal and drafting point of view therefore these required further deliberation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
CJP summons SJC meeting
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has summoned a Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) meeting on July 12 to review pending complaints and consider amendments to the SJC rules. The Council is headed by CJP Yahya Afridi, and comprises two senior most judges of the Supreme Court; i.e., Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, and two senior Chief Justices of High Courts; i.e., Justice Aalia Neelum, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC), and Justice S M Attique Shah, Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC). The Supreme Court's PRO on February 7, 2025 issued Judicial Performance report on the completion of CJP Yahya Afridi's 100 Days. According to that, the SJC had examined 46 complaints under Article 209 of the Constitution received against constitutional officeholders, out of which, 40 were disposed of, whereas, comments in five complaints were sought, and one was sent for information. Six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) – Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz on March 25, 2024 had written a letter to the SJC against the alleged 'interference' and 'intimidation' by the 'operatives of intelligence agencies.' In the letter, they sought guidance from the SJC with regard to the duty of a 'judge to report and respond to actions on part of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies that seek to interfere with discharge of his/ her official functions and qualify as intimidation'. Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on their letter had taken a suo moto and constituted a seven-member bench to examine the IHC judges' concerns. However, Justice Yahya opposed the suo moto and recused from the bench. Justice Faez also formed one-man Commission comprising ex-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to probe the allegations of the IHC judges. However, Justice Tassaduq due to social media declined to head the commission. After that no further progress was made in that respect. Following the IHC judges' letter, complaints were filed against five judges of the IHC, which have been pending. The Judicial Performance report also stated that significant reforms were implemented to enhance efficiency, transparency, accountability, and accessibility in the justice sector. A key aspect of these reforms includes the swift resolution of complaints against constitutional officeholders, ensuring accountability mechanisms function efficiently, and upholding public confidence in the judiciary. The amendments in the Supreme Judicial Council Code of Conduct and Procedure of Enquiry 2005 were considered. However, sources shared that Justice Munib was given task to propose the amendments in the SJC Code. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SJC meeting summoned after seven-month hiatus
After a break of almost seven months, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has summoned a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on July 12. The SJC is a constitutional body empowered to proceed against judges of the superior courts on charges of misconduct. Currently, CJP Afridi serves as its chairman. Other members include Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Alia Neelum and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Junaid Ghaffar. The council is presently examining various complaints of misconduct against superior court judges. During its previous meeting in December last year, the Council discussed proposed amendments to the Code of Conduct for Judges under Article 209(8) of the Constitution, as well as revisions to the Supreme Judicial Council Procedure of Enquiry, 2005. A committee headed by Justice Munib Akhtar was constituted to prepare the proposed amendments to both the Code of Conduct and the enquiry procedure. It is expected that the committee will present its proposals at the upcoming meeting. Last year, six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges had sought guidance from the SJC regarding interference by executive agencies in judicial functions. However, instead of taking up the matter within the SJC, then Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa initiated suo motu proceedings on the issue.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hearing for Massachusetts judge accused of helping man evade ICE begins Monday
A hearing with the Commission for Judicial Conduct will begin Monday regarding the case of a Newton judge accused of helping a man evade federal immigration authorities. Judge Shelley Joseph will go before the commission on June 9 at Suffolk County Courthouse. Federal authorities indicted Joseph on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding and perjury in 2019. The year before, prosecutors say, Joseph allowed a man who was subject to an immigration detainer to avoid capture by exiting through a side door of a Newton courthouse. The indictment was filed while Andrew Lelling, a Trump appointee, served as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts. But the charges were dismissed in 2022 under Rachael Rollins, a Biden appointee, after Joseph attested to a statement of relevant facts and agreed to refer herself to the Commission on Judicial Conduct. Since then, the commission has filed its charges against Joseph, kicking off a process that begins with the June hearing. A hearing officer appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court, in this case, attorney Denis McInerney, will issue a report with proposed findings and recommendations within 30 days of the hearing. The commission then submits a report and recommendations to the SJC, at which point Joseph can request an additional public hearing. The SJC will then issue a final determination on discipline, either adopting the commission's recommendation or imposing greater or lesser punishment. Joseph has denied all wrongdoing, writing in a statement that she 'has attempted at all times to treat the parties before her ... fairly and in accordance with the law and court policies, and to promote the fair administration of justice and public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' Massachusetts state law bars defendants from being held solely on a civil immigration detainer. But in Joseph's case, she is accused of helping a man, Jose Medina-Perez, avoid ICE agents in Newton District Court in part by letting him exit out the back door. Joseph has been earning her six-figure-a-year salary since her arrest. State payroll records show she was paid more than $200,000 in each of 2023 and 2024. Her case has similarities to that of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was taken into custody by the FBI in April. Dugan is also accused of allowing a man to escape ICE detention and has since been suspended by the state's supreme court. Dugan is being represented by at least six lawyers, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Her trial is scheduled for next month. Ex-con arraigned on home invasion and armed robbery charges Rally to be held in Boston in response to ICE raids in LA 'Devastated' music legend cancels more shows due to health issues How a Springfield agency's mission evolved since its founding after the Civil War Lynnfield racist graduation incident highlights earlier concerns brought to school committee Read the original article on MassLive.
