SJC rejects proposal to reveal names of judges accused of misconduct

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a constitutional forum for accountability of judges in the superior judiciary, on Saturday rejected a proposal for making public names of judges against whom complaints are filed under Article 209 over misconduct.

The SJC meeting was held here in the Supreme Court with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi in the chair. The meeting was attended by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah (through video-link), Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aalia Neelum, Chief Justice Lahore High Court and Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, Chief Justice Sindh High Court.

The SJC discussed all the agenda items one by one and approved the proposed draft of Supreme Judicial Council Secretariat Service Rules, 2025. “It was resolved that procedure of enquiry and amendments to the Code of Conduct needed to be examined from legal and drafting point of view; therefore, these required further deliberation,” says a press release issued by the SJC secretary.

Similarly, the council also examined 24 complaints, filed by different individuals against judges of superior judiciary under Article 209 of the Constitution.

The SJC, after reviewing the complaints, unanimously disposed of 19 complaints, while five others were deferred for the time being.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that during the meeting, the SJC also considered whether to release the names of judges against whom complaints were reviewed. However, it was later decided not to make their names public.