The Parliament moved decisively on Monday, unanimously passing sweeping amendments to the Judiciary Act aimed at strengthening judicial administration, independence, and credibility.
The comprehensive reforms, proposed by the government, introduce stringent new standards for judicial conduct, enhance financial transparency, and detail mechanisms for performance accountability, signaling a unified legislative commitment to a more responsible judiciary.
The core of the new legislation focuses heavily on defining and enforcing the ethical obligations of judges. The previously consolidated chapter covering judicial conduct, responsibilities, and powers has been separated and further detailed. A key restriction mandates that those in judicial positions shall not engage in any kind of business activity, nor possess any direct or indirect financial interest in purchases, leases, or transactions involving the state or any related party.
To ensure increased transparency regarding assets of judges, the amendments drastically overhaul financial disclosure requirements. While the old law required annual financial statements, the new provisions mandate that judges must submit a statement of their assets within three months of taking office. Subsequent annual submission of the previous year’s statement is now required within the first three months of every year. Additionally, judges who resign must submit a final financial statement within three months of their departure.
The amendment also addresses case backlogs and performance monitoring. The updated accountability measures stipulate that if a case remains undecided for over one year after being assigned, notification is now required for both the Chief Judge of the respective court and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Under the earlier framework, only the Chief Judge was required to be notified.
The amendments also formalise and detail the administrative procedures for transferring judges to different courts or temporarily assigning them other judicial functions, ensuring clearer operational guidelines for the judiciary.