27th Constitutional Amendment poses 'serious threat' to judicial independence: Amnesty

• 27th Amendment embeds "executive control, shields key officials".
• Amendment undermines judiciary by establishing FCC: Amnesty. 
• Group calls for upholding separation of powers, accountability.

Amnesty International has warned that the recent 27th Constitutional Amendment poses a serious threat to judicial independence and the rule of law, saying it entrenches executive control over the courts and shields key state officials from accountability.

In a statement released a day earlier, the rights group said the amendment undermines an already weakened judiciary by establishing a Federal Constitutional Court that lacks "independence, erodes judges’ security of tenure". 

Despite its far-reaching implications, Amnesty noted that the amendment was rushed through parliament without consultation with civil society or opposition parties.

The organisation highlighted that two senior Supreme Court judges resigned in protest on the day the amendment became law on November 13, 2025 followed by the resignation of a Lahore High Court judge two days later. Amnesty described the development as part of a sustained pattern of attacks on judicial independence in the country.

According to the report, the amendment builds on changes introduced under the 26th Constitutional Amendment in October 2024, which altered the composition of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan by increasing parliamentary representation. International bodies, including the UN Human Rights Committee, have previously warned that these changes risk politicising judicial appointments.

The 27th Amendment allows the president, on the advice of the prime minister, to appoint the first chief justice and judges of the new Federal Constitutional Court, bypassing established judicial appointment procedures, it added.

Amnesty said this opens the door to direct political interference. The court’s decisions will bind all other courts, including the Supreme Court, while it will not be bound by past Supreme Court judgments.

The report also raised alarm over the transfer of the Supreme Court’s original and advisory jurisdiction to the new court, including cases involving constitutional interpretation and fundamental rights. Powers to review bans on political parties have also been shifted, a move Amnesty said could have serious implications amid repeated government statements about banning the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Amnesty further criticised provisions allowing the president to transfer high court judges without their consent, warning that transfers could be used punitively against judges who issue unfavourable rulings. Judges who refuse transfers now face suspension and possible removal.

The rights group concluded that the amendment represents the culmination of a concerted assault on judicial independence. It called for an urgent review of the law and urged authorities to safeguard judicial impartiality, uphold separation of powers and ensure accountability in line with international standards.