27th Amendment undermines independence of judiciary, says Amnesty International

The Amnesty International on Tuesday said the 27th Constitutional Amendment violated international human rights law, particularly undermining the independence of the judiciary and shielding officials from accountability through the provision of lifetime immunity.

“The 27th amendment to the Constitution, passed in November 2025, marks a significant regression and is part of a direct and sustained assault on judicial independence, right to fair trial and the rule of law in Pakistan,” it said in a statement.

The development comes about two months after the Parliament passed the legislation.

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The highly contentious law grants constitutional protection to the top positions of the armed forces and the president, establishes the Federal Constitutional Court, permits the transfer of high court judges and introduces several other key amendments and substitutions to the Constitution.

The bill was signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari shortly after its passage from the Senate in November last year.

The Amnesty International has called for an urgent review of the constitutional amendment and urged Pakistani authorities to immediately take all necessary measures to safeguard the impartiality, independence and safety of judges, ensuring that they can carry out their judicial functions without any inappropriate or unwarranted interference.

“Pakistani authorities must uphold their international human rights obligations, guarantee access to justice and effective remedies, and respect the separation of powers and the rule of law,” it said.

READ MORE: 27th Amendment: Senate approves changes

Despite its far-reaching consequences, the Amnesty said the amendment was steamrolled through parliament with no consultation with opposition parties and civil society. On the day the Act became law, two senior judges of the Supreme Court resigned in protest and two days later a judge of the Lahore High Court also resigned, it added.

The amendment, it said, further erodes judicial independence — already weakened by 26th constitutional amendment — by granting the president and prime minister authority to appoint the first chief justice and initial judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, increasing executive influence over the judiciary.

“The 26th amendment was passed with similar haste, in less than 24 hours, in October 2024,” it maintained.