Proposed Constitutional Amendment: 3-Year Chief Justice Tenure Plan

the government would introduce amendments to the Constitution if a firm decision is taken to consolidate the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s tenure for three years.

Sources added that a committee constituted in this regard has started preparations for the constitutional amendment. A decision in this regard will be made following the Senate elections.

According to the Constitution, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and each of the other Judges of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President per Article 175A.

Article 179 of the Constitution of Pakistan states: “A judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office until he attains the age of sixty-five years unless he sooner resigns or is removed from office per the Constitution”.

It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the third senior-most judge in the Supreme Court who was destined to become the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in Oct this year, resigned after his colleague Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi stepped down following allegations of misconduct.

The abrupt resignation will benefit the next senior judge, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, since he will become the next chief justice soon after the retirement of CJP Isa on Oct 25, 2024. Otherwise, Justice Shah was expected to hold the coveted office from Aug 3, 2025.

Justice Shah also replaced Justice Ahsan on the Supreme Judicial Council, as well as the three-member special committee in charge of bench formation.