Calendrier du 06 avril 2018
Casual Friday Development Seminar - Brown Bag Seminar
Du 06/04/2018 de 13:15 à 14:15
Salle R2-01, Campus Jourdan, 48 boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris
MEHMOOD Sultan ()
Judiciary’s Achilles Heel: Executive Control via Appointment Power
To what extent does the presidential appointment of judges in the superior courts impact judicial decision making? We document a substantial increase in judicial independence and reduced case delay in Pakistan, as a result of a judicial selection reform in 2010 that changed the selection procedure of the judges from the president appointing the judges to the selection of judges by a judicial commission. Using mandatory retirement age as an instrument for new appointments, we are able to estimate the causal effect of the new appointment procedure on judicial independence and case delay. Better enforcement of laws regulating land disputes with government agencies is the key mechanism driving these results. We further show that the judges selected under the new procedure are significantly less likely to be politically active prior to their appointments or receive the controversial “Prime Minister’s Assistance Package” (that awards residential plots to the judges). The new judges who did accept the package are more likely to rule in favour of the government.