SJC allows judges to attend political, diplomatic functions with prior approval

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has approved amendments to the Code of Conduct for judges, allowing members of the superior judiciary to attend or preside over political and diplomatic events only after obtaining prior approval from the relevant chief justice.

The decision was made during the SJC meeting held on June 11 and chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. The council reviewed proposed Rules Regulating Procedure and Conduct of Business and introduced several changes to the judicial code.

The meeting was attended by Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court Aminuddin Khan, along with the chief justices of the Lahore and Peshawar High Courts.

According to an official statement issued on Saturday, the revised code requires judges of the superior courts to refrain from participating in political or diplomatic functions unless they have received prior permission from the relevant chief justice.

The SJC has revised the judges’ Code of Conduct, replacing the previous blanket ban on attending social, cultural, political, and diplomatic events with a requirement for prior approval from the relevant chief justice. The newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has also been formally included in the code.

Under amended Article XV, judges must report any attempts to influence their decisions in writing to senior judicial authorities. High court chief justices must form a three-member committee within two days to review such complaints and issue a decision within two weeks. If no action is taken within the prescribed period, the matter may be taken up by the FCC or the Supreme Court.

The FCC, established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment in November 2025, now serves as Pakistan’s apex constitutional court, while the Supreme Court functions as the final appellate court in civil and criminal cases.