ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Judicial Commission (JCP) approved the appointment of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Mussarat Hilali to the Supreme Court.
According to a local news channel, the decision was made unanimously during a JCP meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial in the chair. Justice Hilali is the first woman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to be appointed to the Supreme Court and the country’s second woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court.
Justice Ayesha Malik made history in Pakistan’s judicial system this January when she was appointed as a Supreme Court judge by the JCP by a vote of five to four. The JCP is a constitutional body that appoints judges to the Supreme Court, high courts, and the Federal Shariat Court.
The JCP is headed by the CJP, the next four senior-most four judges, a former chief justice or supreme court judge, the law minister, the attorney general, and a senior Supreme Court advocate nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council.
Supreme Court functioning with 15 judges
The supreme court is currently functioning with 15 judges, including the chief justice, against the sanctioned strength of 17 judges. Last month, SC Senior Puisne Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa wrote to CJP Bandial, urging him to call an emergency meeting of the JCP to fill the vacancies on the Supreme Court. He also suggested SHC and PHC chief justices for the positions.
The JCP met for the last time in October 2022, when three judges were elevated to the Supreme Court. Justice Isa urged the JCP meeting to consider the nominations of the two judges based on seniority.
Who is Justice Mussarat Hilali?
Justice Hilali was born in Peshawar on August 8, 1961, and got a law degree from Khyber Law College, Peshawar University, before becoming an Advocate of District Courts in 1983, an Advocate of the High Court in 1988, and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006.
She accomplished significant accomplishments in her career as a woman, including:
From 1988 to 1989, she was the first female elected to the post of bar secretary.
From 1992 to 1994, she served as vice president of the bar (twice).
From 1997 to 1998, she was the General Secretary
From 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, she was the first female executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
From November 2001 until March 2004, she was the first female Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and she was then appointed as the first female Chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal.
In addition, Justice Hilali worked as the first female ombudsman for workplace harassment protection.
On March 26, 2013, she was elevated to the bench as an additional judge, and on March 13, 2014, she was confirmed as a permanent judge of the Peshawar High Court.
