Op-ed: Dissecting Pakistan's judicial appointment process

The fairness of the judicial appointments lies in the process and not with the control of such appointments with any coordinate branch. The Parliamentary Committee has the power to make rules under clause 17 of Article 175-A to regulate its own procedure. Besides dumping the requirement of secrecy, the rules should enable open hearings of the nominees and such hearings should be broadcast live to the wider audience. The process of the judicial appointments should be open for everyone to see. This is in consonance with the spirit of access to justice; a substantive right of all citizens and non-citizens in a country. It is only the process that can address concerns or even perceptions of arbitrariness. And such apprehensions surface every now and then since the process is closed, vesting complete discretion, absent any structure or criterion, with the Judicial Commission. The provision for an open (read fair) process for the appointments bears every mark of prudence to further strengthen the judicial branch.
Read the full article here: Daily Times