Justice Aalia Neelum nominated as first female chief justice of LHC

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has unanimously nominated Justice Aalia Neelum as new Lahore High Court Chief Justice.

Justice Aalia Neelum will serve until November 11, 2028.

She will be first female chief justice of LHC. She is known as a judge with expertise in criminal laws.

The JCP earlier in its last meeting had deliberated on the elevation of Justice Neelum as the next chief justice of the LHC, according to a June 9 report published on Express Tribune.

Both the government representatives—the attorney general for Pakistan and the law minister—had agreed on the consideration of Justice Neelum as the new LHC CJ.

Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was the senior puisne judge in the LHC, while Justice Neelum was third in the seniority list of the LHC after the elevation of incumbent LHC CJ Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan to the Supreme Court.

Although it is not a constitutional requirement to appoint the senior puisne judge of a high court as the next chief justice, all senior puisne judges have been appointed as the CJs since the change of procedure in the appointment of superior court judges through the 18th Constitution Amendment in 2010.

Brief profile

Justice Aalia Neelum was born on November 12, 1966. She earned her LL.B. degree from the University of the Punjab in 1995 and was enrolled as an advocate the following year.

In 2008, she was admitted to practice as an advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Since her elevation to the Lahore High Court bench in 2013, Justice Aalia has delivered numerous reported judgments on significant legal issues.

Justice Aalia's academic background is robust. She holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of the Punjab and has obtained various diplomas in fields related to law and the judiciary. Additionally, she earned a B.Ed. degree from her alma mater.

In her judicial career, Justice Aalia has dealt extensively with criminal, civil, and anti-terrorism laws. She has also served as a focal person for gender-based violence courts, contributing significantly to this critical area of the judiciary.