ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) approved amendments in the Code of Conduct for judges of the superior courts.
According to an official statement issued by the Council’s interim secretary on Saturday, the amendments were approved in the SJC’s meeting held here on Saturday.
Comparative details of amendments are;
Amendment of the title of Code of Conduct;
Existing Text: “Code of Conduct for Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts”
Amended Text: “Code of Conduct for Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, and the High Courts.”
Amendment of Article-XII of the Code of Conduct:
Existing Text: “The Judges of the superior Courts would abstain from presiding/ attending any social, cultural, political, and diplomatic functions.”
Amended Text: “The Judges of the superior courts would abstain from presiding/ attending any political and diplomatic functions except with the permission of the relevant Chief Justice.”
Amendment of para numbers 2 & 3 of Article-XV:
Existing Text: “The Judge shall immediately inform, in writing, the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court through respective Registrars. In case of the Supreme Court, the judge shall immediately inform, in writing, the Chief Justice of Pakistan and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court through the Registrar.
The Chief Justice of the High Court shall place the matter before a Committee comprising three Judges within two days of the report by the Judge. The decision by the Committee on the report shall be made within a fortnight. In case it is referred for judicial decision, the same should be decided as early as possible by adhering to the principles of fair trial and due process. If the Chief Justice or the Committee in the case of the High Court, as the case may be, fails to respond within the stipulated timeframe, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, along with four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, shall take up the matter.”
Amended Text: “The judges shall immediately inform, in writing, the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court or the Supreme Court, if he is not the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and two senior-most judges each of the Federal Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court through respective Registrars.
In case of the Federal Constitutional Court/ Supreme Court, the Judge shall immediately inform, in writing, the Chief Justice and four senior-most judges of the relevant Court through the respective Registrars.
The Chief Justice of the High Court shall place the matter before a Committee comprising three Judges within two days of the report by the Judges. The decision by the Committee on the report shall be made within a fortnight. In case it is referred for judicial decision, the same should be decided as early as possible by adhering to the principles of fair trial and due process. If the Chief Justice or the Committee in the case of the High Court, as the case may be, fails to respond within the stipulated timeframe, the forum of the Federal Constitutional Court/ Supreme Court, which was informed by the Judge, shall take up the matter.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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