As acting CJP, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah takes the oath of office.
The interim chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, was sworn in on Monday.
The senior judge of the highest court, Justice Munib Akhtar, administered his oath.
Judges of the Supreme Court, the attorney general, law enforcement officials, and attorneys all attended the oath-taking event.
In lieu of CJP Yahya Afridi, who is scheduled to travel abroad, he will function as the nation’s top judge.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi will head a distinguished delegation to the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of SCO Member States, scheduled in Hangzhou, China, from April 22 to 26, 2025.
Accompanying the chief justice will be Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Shahid Waheed, and two judges of the district judiciary: Zafar Jan, District and Sessions Judge Gwadar, the remotest district of Balochistan, and Nadia Gul Wazir, Senior Civil Judge District Lakki Marwat, a remote district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Their participation underscores Justice Yahya Afridi’s commitment to inclusivity within the judicial system as well ownership of judicial officers performing duty at far-off places.
An crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Supreme Court of China and the Supreme Court of Pakistan is anticipated to be signed on this momentous occasion.
By creating institutional ties, supporting capacity-building programs, and encouraging knowledge sharing in crucial fields like international commercial law, arbitration, cybercrime, financial crime, climate change litigation, and judicial technology integration, this Memorandum of Understanding seeks to greatly improve bilateral judicial cooperation.
Moreover, the MoU seeks to deepen collaboration in dispute resolution, recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions, and mutual legal assistance in civil matters, reaffirming the shared commitment of both nations towards judicial independence, sovereignty, and adherence to the rule of law.
Justice Shahid Waheed will deliver a keynote speech titled “Judicial Application of Artificial Intelligence,” highlighting AI’s transformative potential to enhance judicial efficiency, transparency, and accessibility.
Justice Waheed will discuss Pakistan’s ongoing initiatives, including AI-driven legal drafting in collaboration with global institutions such as ETH Zurich, advanced AI-based legal research tools, digitization of court records, and predictive analytics for ensuring consistent judicial outcomes.
With an emphasis on transparency, human oversight, bias mitigation, data protection, judicial training, accountability, and the creation of an AI Ethics Committee within the Supreme Court of Pakistan to supervise the responsible and open use of AI technologies, he will highlight the ethical framework required for AI integration.
Additionally, on the sidelines of the SCO Conference, CJP Yahya Afridi will hold bilateral discussions with the chief justice of Iran, exploring ways to deepen judicial exchanges and collaborative engagements. This interaction underscores Pakistan’s dedication to strengthening international judicial cooperation.
Following the SCO conference, Chief Justice Afridi will proceed to Istanbul at the special invitation of Kadir Özkaya, President of the Constitutional Court of Türkiye, to attend the 63rd Anniversary celebrations of the Turkish Constitutional Court from April 24 to 27, 2025.
This visit is expected to enhance judicial cooperation and deepen the ties between the judicial institutions of Pakistan and Türkiye.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan anticipates these engagements will significantly contribute to judicial efficiency and improved access to justice, yielding mutual benefits for the judicial systems and citizens of the participating nations.
