Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
Encyclopedia
The Supreme Court Bar Association is a legal body comprising the supreme court lawyers in Pakistan. It is currently headed by Asma Jahangir
. Ms. Jahangir has been a leading human rights activist and lawyer in South Asia. When she was 18 years old she was a petitioner in the Asma Jilani case which was a famous constitutional case upholding the rule of law in Pakistan at the time of a military dictatorship. Since then she has been actively participating in a struggle to end dictatorships and uphold the rule of law in Pakistan. She has defended underprivileged women, minorities and children. In the sphere of bonded labour she helped to set an important judicial precedent in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. She was both house arrested and imprisoned in 1984 when she participated in protests against the infamous Hadood Ordinances introduced by the military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. She also participated in the lawyers struggle for the rule of law and the restoration of an independent judiciary in 2007 after General Musharraf staged a coup on 3 November 2007 and forcibly removed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Ms. Jahangir was again arrested during this time. In October 2010 she won a hotly contested election for the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. She is currently heading this. She has also been appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions in 1998 and then she served as the Special Rapoorteur on Freedom of Religion from 2004 to 2010. She has won numerous awards including the Magasaysay Award, the Four Freedom Award, the UNESCO Award, Sitar-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz for her work and commitment to human rights and justice. Her office in Lahore, AGHS Law Associates, provides free legal aid to underprivileged women, people sentenced to death, bonded labourers and children. It is the largest legal aid cell in Pakistan.
This organization gained prominence on March 9, 2007 when Pervez Musharraf sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry. Then president, Munir A. Malik
, called this a malafide act and started a country-wide campaign for the restoration of the Chief Justice now known as the Lawyers' Movement
in Pakistan. Since then the recent appointment of Ms. Asma Jahangir as the President has brought prestige to this institution and it has regained its importance as a watchdog for establishing the rule of law in Pakistan.
Asma Jahangir
Asma Jilani Jahangir is a leading Pakistani lawyer, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and human rights activist, who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation...
. Ms. Jahangir has been a leading human rights activist and lawyer in South Asia. When she was 18 years old she was a petitioner in the Asma Jilani case which was a famous constitutional case upholding the rule of law in Pakistan at the time of a military dictatorship. Since then she has been actively participating in a struggle to end dictatorships and uphold the rule of law in Pakistan. She has defended underprivileged women, minorities and children. In the sphere of bonded labour she helped to set an important judicial precedent in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. She was both house arrested and imprisoned in 1984 when she participated in protests against the infamous Hadood Ordinances introduced by the military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. She also participated in the lawyers struggle for the rule of law and the restoration of an independent judiciary in 2007 after General Musharraf staged a coup on 3 November 2007 and forcibly removed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Ms. Jahangir was again arrested during this time. In October 2010 she won a hotly contested election for the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. She is currently heading this. She has also been appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions in 1998 and then she served as the Special Rapoorteur on Freedom of Religion from 2004 to 2010. She has won numerous awards including the Magasaysay Award, the Four Freedom Award, the UNESCO Award, Sitar-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz for her work and commitment to human rights and justice. Her office in Lahore, AGHS Law Associates, provides free legal aid to underprivileged women, people sentenced to death, bonded labourers and children. It is the largest legal aid cell in Pakistan.
This organization gained prominence on March 9, 2007 when Pervez Musharraf sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry. Then president, Munir A. Malik
Munir A. Malik
Munir A. Malik is a prominent Pakistani lawyer and key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan. He is the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan...
, called this a malafide act and started a country-wide campaign for the restoration of the Chief Justice now known as the Lawyers' Movement
Lawyers' Movement
The Lawyers' Movement was the name given to the popular mass protest movement started by the lawyers of Pakistan in response to the dictatorial actions of 9 March 2007, by the country's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, when he unconstitutionally sacked Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the Chief...
in Pakistan. Since then the recent appointment of Ms. Asma Jahangir as the President has brought prestige to this institution and it has regained its importance as a watchdog for establishing the rule of law in Pakistan.
Key presidents
- Ali Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad KurdAli Ahmad Kurd was the President of Supreme Court Bar Association and a key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan.He belongs to the famous Baloch tribe of Kurd related to Magsi Balochis....
- Aitzaz AhsanAitzaz AhsanChaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawmaker, barrister, and politician from Pakistan's People's Party who served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.-Early life and education:...
- Justice (Retd) Malik Muhammad Qayyum
- Munir A. MalikMunir A. MalikMunir A. Malik is a prominent Pakistani lawyer and key leader of the Lawyers' Movement in Pakistan. He is the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan...
- Akram Shaikh
- Umair khan gondal
- Justice Tariq Mahmood
- Abid Hassan MintoAbid Hassan MintoAbid Hassan Minto aka Abid Minto is a constitutional expert and senior lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is also a literary critic and a leftwing civic and political leader...
- Qazi AnwarQazi AnwarQazi Muhammad Anwar, former Attorney General, constitutional lawyer, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and former senator. A former activist in the Pakistan Peoples Party, he joined the Awami National Party in 1994 in protest against the dismissal of the provincial...
See Also
- Pakistan Bar CouncilPakistan Bar CouncilPakistan Bar Council was established by the Parliament in 1973 under the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act. It is the highest elected body of lawyers. it has twenty members elected throughout the country representing each province. The Members of the Pakistan Bar Council are elected on the...
- Punjab Bar CouncilPunjab Bar CouncilThe Punjab Bar Council is a supreme statutory & Deliberative assembly of lawyers in Punjab for safeguarding the rights, interests and privileges of practicing lawyers, regulating their conduct and helping in the administration of justice and it is also 1st biggest Bar Council of Pakistan...
- Lahore High Court Bar AssociationLahore High Court Bar AssociationLahore High Court Bar Association is situated in Lahore.Lahore Bar as a collective group took birth somewhere before 1892-93 and its first President was elected in 1993. In 1910 the Executive Committee recommended that the Bar Association should be registered...