Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, a senior puisne judge at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), has seen his authority diminished as a result of recent administrative reforms. These modifications follow rule revisions made by the high court, which gave acting Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar more leeway in choosing committee members.
As a senior member of the Administration Committee and other important committees, Justice Kayani formerly played a crucial role in court operations. But now the Chief Justice can delegate or restrict these administrative tasks according to the new regulations. Since Justice Kayani was also kicked out of the Departmental Promotion Committee, his job has become mostly ceremonial as a result of this.
Justice Babar Sattar, a senior judge, and others have questioned the constitutionality of the reorganisation, which has caused controversy. Judgement seniority was questioned due to the assignment of judges from different high courts to IHC committees and the removal of senior judges from key positions.
Questions of fairness and due process within the IHC’s administrative structure have arisen as a result of these changes.
