Parliament passed the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the Constitution in November 2025 and it received presidential assent. Among its principal features is the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). The court was established on 13 November 2025, and Justice Aminuddin Khan was appointed its first Chief Justice on 14 November 2025. The reform has attracted considerable public and professional debate.
Jurisdiction
As summarised in published accounts, the FCC hears disputes between the federation and a province or among provinces, questions of constitutional interpretation, appeals from High Courts that involve substantial constitutional questions, and matters concerning the enforcement of fundamental rights that fall within its jurisdiction. Cases pending before other courts that fall within that jurisdiction stand transferred to it.
What litigants should do
Constitutional petitions, appeals and review applications should now be drafted with the correct apex forum in mind from the outset. Practitioners should confirm, for each pending or contemplated matter, whether it will proceed before the Supreme Court or the FCC, and track the rules and practice directions that govern the new court.
Key takeaways
- The FCC was established on 13 November 2025 in Islamabad
- It hears constitutional interpretation, federal–provincial disputes and certain fundamental-rights matters
- Pending matters within its jurisdiction stand transferred
- Confirm the correct apex forum before filing
Sources & further reading
This update is published for general information only.