Supreme Judicial Council approves amendments to judges' code of conduct

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has approved amendments to the code of conduct governing judges of the superior judiciary.

According to an official communiqué issued after the Council’s meeting, the amendments were approved by a majority vote and will be published in the official gazette. The revised code will also be sent to all judges of the higher judiciary and made available on the Supreme Court’s website.

The statement revealed that the Council is currently considering 87 pending complaints. Since October 2024, a total of 155 complaints have been disposed of, reflecting ongoing activity within the accountability mechanism for the judiciary. During the latest session, 65 complaints were dismissed, while action on one complaint was deferred. The Council also decided to proceed further on another case.

In the second phase of the meeting, seven additional complaints were reviewed. The Council was reconstituted for these cases, and out of the seven, five complaints were dismissed, while two were marked for further proceedings.

The communiqué noted that Justice Sarfraz Dogar recused himself from hearing complaints in this session. To fill his position, Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah of the Peshawar High Court was included in the Council.

Across both phases of the meeting, the Supreme Judicial Council examined a total of 74 complaints, highlighting the body’s ongoing oversight role in maintaining judicial accountability and ethical standards within Pakistan’s superior courts.