The controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment, which gave the nation’s parliament the authority to choose the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), was finally enacted after weeks of political wrangling and discussion.
Known as the “constitutional package,” the law includes a number of modifications that address the selection and term of the nation’s top judge as well as the assessment of judges’ performance.
The changes were made just a few days before incumbent Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s October 25 retirement. The senior puisne judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, would have automatically succeeded the current Chief Justice under the prior law.
The modification, however, altered the process, and now a 12-member special parliamentary committee will select one name with a two-thirds majority from among the three seniormost Supreme Court judges.
