Senate, NA pass ‘The Constitution 26th Amendment Bill

ISLAMABAD: The Senate and the National Assembly have approved “The Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2024” with a two-thirds majority.

In the Senate, sixty-five members voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, while four opposed it. In the National Assembly, 225 members supported the amendment, with 12 against it.Senate passes “The Constitution Twenty-Sixth Amendment Bill, 2024”

The constitutional amendment aims to introduce reforms in the appointment process and tenure of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as well as to establish constitutional benches within the Supreme Court, ensuring equal representation from all provinces. It also includes provisions to form constitutional benches at the high courts.

The most senior judge of each constitutional bench will act as its presiding officer. Under this amendment, the term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been set at three years.

A 12-member parliamentary committee will select the new Chief Justice of Pakistan from a panel of the three most senior judges. This committee will consist of eight members from the National Assembly and four from the Senate, and it will propose the nominee to the Prime Minister, who will forward it to the President for final approval.

Additionally, a Judicial Commission of Pakistan, led by the Chief Justice and comprising three senior judges, two members each from the National Assembly and Senate, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, the Attorney General, and a nominee from the Pakistan Bar Council with at least fifteen years of practice in the Supreme Court, will be responsible for the appointment of Supreme Court judges.

The commission will also oversee judges’ performance and report any issues to the Supreme Judicial Council. The amendment further includes provisions regarding the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council, ensuring a diverse and robust judicial framework, consisting of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, and the two most senior Chief Justices of the High Courts.

One of the most significant aspects of the amendment is the complete elimination of Riba (interest) from the country by January 1, 2028.