ISLAMABAD, May 18: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday called for reactivation of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for the accountability of corrupt judges. “There is a provision in the Constitution for the accountability of corrupt judges through SJC under Article 209 of the Constitution,” Qazi Jameel, the SCBA president, said while talking to reporters at the Supreme Court building.

The council is lying dormant for over two decades, he said, adding that Justice Safdar Shah was the last judge, who was tried by the SJC during the tenure of the late president Ziaul Haq.

The SCBA had recently disapproved the “attitude” of some of the judges of the Supreme Court and asked them to be more patient while dispensing justice.

Mr Jameel also favoured the accountability of both politicians as well as generals and said though the accountability of politicians was best done through ballot, it was rare in case of judges and generals. He also asked the government to immediately fill the vacant seats of judges in the superior judiciary strictly in accordance with the seniority principle and merit. The principles of appointment and elevation of judges have been clearly laid down in the Constitution, he said.

About the SCBA viewpoint on different issues, Mr Jameel said instead of street agitation they were pursuing their agenda of restoration of the original 1973 Constitution, independence of judiciary and supremacy of parliament through peaceful means.

He threatened agitation if the lawyers were pushed to the wall in their struggle for restoration of genuine democracy. “We are determined to continue our struggle in a positive manner,” he observed. He complained that urgent matters were not being heard immediately by the Supreme Court.

Referring to the pending petitions regarding enhancement in the retirement age of the superior court judges, Qazi Jameel feared that any decision approving the concept of increasing the retirement age of the judges would be a clear violation of the constitution.