Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court Justice Aminuddin Khan will sit in the Islamabad High Court building. Room No. 1 of the IHC has been reserved for the Chief Justice of the FCC. Judges of the newly-formed court will also set in the Islamabad High Court.
Meanwhile, Justice Aminuddin Khan took oath as the first Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath at the President’s House, a day after approving Justice Aminuddin’s appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. PM Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Ministers, Senators and representatives from the judiciary participated in the oath-taking ceremony today.
The presidency made the appointment under Article 175-A(3) read with Article 175-C of the Constitution, and clarified that the appointment becomes effective once Justice Aminuddin is sworn in.
Justice Aminuddin, who began legal practice nearly four decades ago, previously headed the now-dissolved constitutional bench formed under the 26th Constitutional Amendment last year.
The 27th Amendment established the new court with equal provincial representation. It assigns key roles to the president and prime minister in judicial appointments and transfers the Supreme Court’s constitutional jurisdiction to the FCC.
The amendment also shifts the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers to the FCC, authorising the new court to take suo motu notice of petitions.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who assumed office on October 30, 2024, continues to serve as the country’s top judge. After his three-year tenure ends, the senior-most judge among the Supreme Court and FCC will succeed him.
The judicial restructuring dissolves the Constitutional Benches and, through the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2025, transfers the authority to form benches to a three-member committee led by the Chief Justice. The committee will include the chief justice, the most senior judge, and a third judge nominated by the top jurist. In the absence of any member, the chief justice may nominate a replacement. Bench-formation decisions will be made by majority vote.
Judges of the Federal Constitutional Court will now retire at 68, three years later than Supreme Court judges, who retire at 65.
