Senior Legal Figures Warn of ‘Grave Threat’ to Supreme Court’s Authority
ISLAMABAD: A group of nine senior lawyers, including two former puisne judges of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court, have written an open letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, urging him to call a Full Court Meeting to deliberate on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment Act.
In their strongly worded letter, the signatories described the amendment as the “greatest threat to the Supreme Court of Pakistan since its establishment in 1956.” They emphasized that the proposed changes, if enacted, would “denude the Supreme Court of its constitutional jurisdiction” and fundamentally alter the balance of judicial power in the country.
The lawyers appealed to the Chief Justice to lead an institutional response, calling for a “collective and appropriate reaction” from the judiciary. They recommended that the Supreme Court provide inputs and suggestions to the federal government to safeguard the Court’s constitutional independence and authority.
Concerns Over Creation of Federal Constitutional Court
The 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to establish a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to handle matters related to constitutional interpretation and intergovernmental disputes — functions that currently fall under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction. Critics argue that this move would effectively supersede the Supreme Court as the nation’s highest judicial body, thereby fragmenting judicial oversight and weakening the Court’s institutional role.
Legal experts have warned that the amendment could lead to a parallel judicial structure, undermining the Supreme Court’s supremacy and setting a precedent that jeopardizes the independence of the judiciary.
The letter represents one of the strongest public responses yet from members of the legal fraternity, reflecting growing unease over the federal government’s push to restructure the country’s top judicial institutions.
