IHC judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui is accused of misconduct.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 18th September, 2018) The hearing on reference against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has been fixed for Oct 1.
Fixing the hearing on Oct 1, the Supreme Judicial Council summoned Justice Siddiqui in personal capacity.
IHC judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui is accused of misconduct. The petition against Justice Siddiqui sought an open trial of his case pending in the SJC.
The Supreme Court had in May partially accepted the stance of two high court judges, Islamabad High Court's Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and Lahore High Court's Justice Farrukh Irfan, seeking open trial in the SJC against them.
The five-member SC bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed had reserved its verdict on the petitions of seeking an open trial by the SJC over their alleged misconduct.
The bench, in its order, observed that the SJC's proceedings were administrative and not judicial in nature. The court maintained, "It leads to an irresistible conclusion that the SJC is a unique forum created by the Constitution. It is not a court but more akin to a Domestic Disciplinary Tribunal whose proceedings are administrative in nature and recommendatory in effect. But its findings have an element of conclusiveness."
It observed that SJC's proceedings would have two parts, the initial hearing regarding the probe would be in-camera while the second part would be open for public as per wishes of the judges.
The bench ruled that the question regarding conduct of proceedings through an open justice as requested by the petitioners needed to be revisited and decided afresh by the SJC notwithstanding and uninfluenced by its own order dated 18-05-2017. Subsequently, the bench disposed off the petition.
However, now in view of the apex court’s verdict, the council had accepted Justice Siddiqui's plea to conduct an inquiry in open court.
