LHC judge lauded for environment protection efforts

Justice Shah was the only Pakistani judge who attended Environmental Law Congress

LAHORE: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of Lahore High Court (LHC) was praised for his efforts for  environment protection at the first World Environmental Law Congress that took place in Rio de Janeiro between April 27 and April 29.

Justice Shah has the credit of forming a green bench at the LHC that deals with matters pertaining to the environment.

The congress in Brazil had been organised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in collaboration with the United National Environment Programme. Justice Shah was the only judge from Pakistan to have been invited to be the founding member and secretary general of the Global Institute of Judges. A large number of judges, legislators, prosecutors and representatives of government agencies from 70 countries attended the congress.

Justice Shah gave details regarding legislation and litigation on the environment in Pakistan. He apprised the participants of cases being heard at green benches across the Punjab. In the final session, the congress founded the Global Institute of Judges to scrutinise environmental issues and legislation and litigation across the world.

The World Environmental Law Congress aimed at providing a global forum to advance the role of law in developing and implementing solutions ensuring ecological sustainability. The Congress was the first global gathering of its kind having a close partnership with the Brazilian Association of Judges (AMB), the Supreme Court of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian National Judicial School, the Association of Judges of the State of Rio de Janeiro (AMAERJ), the International Association of Judges (IAJ), the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE), the European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment, the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and FGV Projetos – Getúlio Vargas Foundation.

The theme of the Congress was Environmental Rule of Law, Justice and Planetary Sustainability.

Corruption

The LHC administration terminated three of its officials last week on corruption charges.

The officials included assistants Nasir Mahmood and Tariq Aziz and data entry operator Muhammad Imran  Shabbir.

Public Relations Department of theLHC said the administration had also forwarded their cases to the Anti-Corruption Department so that they could be awarded punishment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2016.