Aminuddin takes oath as inaugural chief justice of Constitutional Court

ISLAMABAD: Justice Aminuddin Khan was sworn in on Friday as the first Chief Justice of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court under the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath at Aiwan e Sadr a day after approving the appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Senior civil and military officials, federal ministers and political leaders attended the ceremony.

The Federal Constitutional Court has been created to assume constitutional jurisdiction previously exercised by the Supreme Court. It will eventually have equal provincial representation and enhanced authority to take up constitutional petitions, including the power of suo motu on request.

Following his oath, Justice Aminuddin administered the oath to three of the six judges appointed to the court: Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. The ceremony was held in the open area between the judges and administration blocks of the Islamabad High Court.

According to officials, Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha is scheduled to take oath on Saturday. Sources also said that Justice Musarrat Hilali of the Supreme Court has declined to join the FCC citing health reasons. Her bench at the Supreme Court was recently delisted because of her illness.

The Ministry of Law has issued notifications for six FCC judges whose appointments form the first phase of the court’s staffing. The number of judges is expected to rise to thirteen as the structure expands.

Justice Aminuddin will sit in Courtroom No 1 of the Islamabad High Court building while IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar will move to Courtroom No 2.

Under the recent constitutional changes, the Supreme Court retains its status as the apex court, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, but once his tenure concludes after three years the senior most judge from either the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court will become the top judge.

The amendments also revise case management powers. Through the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025, the authority to constitute benches has been assigned to a three member committee consisting of the Chief Justice, the senior most judge and a third judge nominated by the Chief Justice. Decisions will be taken by majority.

Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court will retire at 68 years of age, three years later than judges of the Supreme Court, who retire at 65.