Delivering Justice in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges

Speaker: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, Pakistan. Justice Shah was elevated to the bench in 2009 and has since authored several judgments on constitutional law, human rights, administrative law and environmental sustainability. He takes a keen interest in judicial and administrative reforms and has spearheaded case management and court automation systems at the Lahore High Court and in the District Judiciary in Punjab.

Justice Shah completed his law degree from the University of Punjab in Lahore. He also has a Masters in Law from the University of Cambridge, and a Masters in Economics from the University of the Punjab. He is an accredited mediator from CEDR, London.

Abstract: The independence of Pakistan in 1947 from British Raj left behind a colonial judicial legacy. In addition, the creation of an Islamic State brought with it, its own interesting questions of judicial and constitutional interpretation. Justice Shah will focus on the challenges and indeed the opportunities that accompanied these transitions. Being a pioneer in issues relating to human rights, rights of minorities and environmental law in Pakistan, Justice Shah is ideally placed to speak about the challenges of instituting change in a judicial system like Pakistan, while balancing the need to effectively deliver justice.

Primary Discussant: Amber Darr has recently completed her PhD from University College London, where she focused on the implementation of Competition Laws of India and Pakistan. She is presently a teaching fellow in Company Law and Competition Law at UCL. Amber is also a Lincoln’s Inn Barrister and prior to her PhD, she was practicing in Pakistan, where she focused on commercial and corporate issues. In 2014, she was made an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.