The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued guidelines for district judges, judicial officers and their staff on the use of social media in order to uphold the highest standards of judicial conduct and ethics. Restrictions imposed on online discussions, forwarding messages containing opinion on political issues. Judicial officers asked to exercise caution in accepting friend requests. Curbs aim to ensure impartiality, dignity and independence of judiciary. SHC’s Member Inspection Team (MIT-I) Haleem Ahmed issued a letter to district and sessions judges as well as judicial officers across the province, stating that Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar had expressed deep concerns about continued violations of earlier standard operating procedures (SOPs), issued in 2022 by the SHC, on the subject matter. Thereafter, it said that the chief justice had issued additional SOPs/guidelines for strict compliance and stated that any violation of such instructions would be deemed misconduct and result in disciplinary proceedings. The letter also stated that all judicial officers and staff were required to observe decorum, impartiality and objectivity at all public and private forums, including social media platforms, and that the use of such media must not undermine the basic code of conduct and dignity of the judiciary. It said: “Judicial officers and staff must not use their official titles, designations, or status to promote personal, political or business interests on social media. Official or court-created digital groups (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) must only be used for their defined, work-related purposes.” “In order to maintain their impartiality and objectivity in performance, they shall not partake in any discussion on social media or exchange or forward information or messages that express their opinion on political issues or similar matters,” it added. “Judicial officers and staff must exercise utmost caution in accepting friend or contact requests, particularly from lawyers, litigants, or persons who may appear before the court, to avoid perceptions or risks of conflict of interest,” it added. The MIT-I in his letter also said that no comments or posts be made on pending or decided cases, or any policy matters of the judiciary, on any social media or digital platform, and that judges as well as staff must not express political, sectarian or caste-based views or statements on social media forums. The letter also asked judicial officers and staff not to comment on, disclose, or discuss any official correspondence, document, order or proceedings of the court or the high court on any social media platform, or share confidential information without prior approval of the competent authority. Disparaging, derogatory, or disrespectful remarks aimed at any individual, group, sect, faith or office are strictly prohibited and shall render the person liable to disciplinary action, it added. It also asked the judges and court staff not to engage in unauthorised discourse of official information or share official documents or any other information they come across during the course of performing their duties via social media. It further directed them not to participate in the furthering of any information, especially pertaining to government matters, that prima facie appeared to be unauthentic and misleading. “Judicial officers and staff must always uphold and demonstrate the highest standards of judicial conduct and ethics in all social media activity, refraining from any conduct – direct or indirect – that could compromise the dignity, independence, or impartiality expected of the judiciary,” it added.
Social media use restricted under new SHC guidelines for juidiciary
