• Rules judicial integrity cannot be compromised • Restores removal penalty for judicial officer, overturning tribunal’s decision to grant compulsory retirement ISLAMABAD: Establishing ethical standards for members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that removal from service became justified when a judge’s conduct compromised his or her integrity, undermined the moral authority of the institution and eroded public confidence in the judiciary. “The moment public confidence in the integrity of a judicial officer is fractured, the fracture runs through the entire structure of the rule of law, undermining the integrity of the judicial institution itself,” emphasised Justice Shahid Waheed, who headed a three-judge bench also comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui. The bench, which had taken up a set of appeals revolving around the question of preserving the integrity of the judicial institution, observed that the robe of a judge was not stained only by proven corruption; it was “equally darkened by a sustained loss of credibility”.