Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Amnesty Urges Urgent Review of Pakistan’s 27th Amendment Over Threat to Judicial Independence

The rights group says a new constitutional court will bind other courts, raising risks to checks and balances.

Overview

  • The law establishes a Federal Constitutional Court whose rulings bind all other courts, while it is not bound by past Supreme Court judgments.
  • Amnesty says the president, acting on the prime minister’s advice, appointed the FCC’s first chief justice and judges outside the Judicial Commission process, inviting political interference.
  • The amendment empowers the presidency to transfer high court judges without consent, with refusal triggering suspension and possible removal, raising fears of punitive use.
  • It extends lifetime immunity to the president and similar protections for senior military leaders, which the group says undermine equality before the law and accountability.
  • Amnesty criticizes the rushed passage without broad consultation and notes resignations by two Supreme Court judges and a Lahore High Court judge, while also warning about jurisdiction shifts to the FCC, including reviews of political‑party bans.