ISLAMABAD – October 22, 2025:
Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar have raised serious concerns over recent amendments to the Code of Conduct for superior court judges, warning they risk restricting judicial independence and opening avenues for both internal and external control.
The warnings came in a letter addressed to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, following the council’s October 18 meeting. The judges termed the amendments “constitutionally inappropriate” and cautioned that they would undermine openness within the judiciary and promote a hierarchical culture.
On the ban on “any interaction with the media”, Justices Shah and Akhtar said it “amounts to a gag order, imposing total silence and insulating the institution from public scrutiny”.https://t.co/W6jdpXIrgQ
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) October 21, 2025
Key objections were raised to the revised Article V, which prohibits judges from speaking, writing, or commenting publicly on matters of “public controversy” or “political questions,” even when legal issues are involved. The judges said these vague terms could be misused to silence judicial voices on crucial constitutional matters.
“This self-censorship undermines intellectual growth within the judiciary and weakens the development of constitutional jurisprudence,” the letter warned.
They also objected to Article XIX, which requires judges to report external “influence” through a defined hierarchy — a move they say could suppress legitimate whistleblowing under the guise of institutional reporting.
The judges further criticised a blanket ban on media interaction, calling it a “gag order” that shields the judiciary from public scrutiny and makes it impossible for judges to publicly defend the institution.
Additionally, clauses barring judges from engaging with foreign or diplomatic events were seen as diminishing opportunities for professional growth.
Calling these measures a threat to judicial autonomy, the two senior judges warned that during “testing times for democracy,” the judiciary must value openness and courage over silence and conformity.
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They urged reconsideration of the amendments in light of constitutional norms and democratic accountability.
