Supreme Court judge nominations open amid judicial crisis

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Monday officially announced vacancies for the position of Supreme Court judge following the resignation of Justice Husnu Sood on Tuesday.

This development comes at a time of turmoil within the judiciary, as multiple justices face suspension and investigations.

Nominations for the Supreme Court judge position are open until 11:00AM on Wednesday. Interested candidates must meet the following criteria:

Sood resigned from his position, citing government interference in the Supreme Court as his reason for stepping down. His resignation came while he was under suspension, alongside Justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir.

The three judges were suspended on the 26th of last month, just before the Supreme Court was set to hear an interim order regarding a constitutional amendment. This amendment, if implemented, could lead to the expulsion of parliamentarians from their parties and the subsequent loss of their seats in Parliament.

The JSC is currently investigating Justices Azmiralda and Mahaz, while the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is conducting a separate criminal investigation into all three judges. The details of the allegations against them have not been disclosed publicly.

With three judges suspended and one resigning, only four Supreme Court judges remain active. However, under the Courts Act, a constitutional case requires a minimum of five judges to form a bench. As a result, key constitutional issues—including the case regarding the parliamentary amendment—are currently stalled.