ISLAMABAD: Four Supreme Court judges have raised objections over the enactment of the Supreme Court Rules 2025 without prior deliberations or approval of the full court.
In a joint note, Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Ayesha A. Malik, and Athar Minallah criticized the procedure, terming it “fallacious” and contrary to constitutional requirements.
They pointed out that the rules were notified on August 9, 2025, as “approved,” but within three days, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi convened a full court to seek suggestions for amendments.
The judges said this sequence tacitly admitted that the full court is the correct forum for such decisions, yet it was involved only after unilateral approval.
They said the rules should have been fully discussed and approved by the whole court before being presented.
Criticizing the process for adding only “a veneer of legitimacy” to an otherwise invalid exercise, the judges urged that the full court meeting not be reduced to a “cosmetic role.”
In the interest of transparency, they also demanded the inclusion of their objections in the minutes and the public release of the proceedings.
The judges emphasized that public trust and confidence rest on transparency in constitutional institutions, warning that no court can function without legitimacy grounded in the same.
Earlier, the apex court had formally published the Supreme Court Rules 2025, replacing the Supreme Court Rules 1980, in what the court described as its commitment to modernization and digitalization and to bringing procedural clarity in the justice system in line with global law governance.
Framed under Article 191 of the Constitution, the new rules replaced “outdated provisions” and brought court procedures in line with contemporary legal, constitutional, and technological developments. The SC issued a press release last week stating that the rules went into effect immediately.
The new rules were framed by a committee formed by CJP Afridi. The committee comprised four SC judges—Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi.
