Pakistan Confirms First Female Supreme Court Judge

By Darby Jones January 7, 2022

Justice Ayesha A. Malik’s nomination is a historic win for women in Pakistan, a historically conservative and male-dominated society.

Pakistan just cleared the way for the first woman in the country’s history to become a Supreme Court justice as the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved Justice Ayesha Malik by a vote of five to four.

This nomination marks a rare victory after women have struggled for decades to secure significant representation in a largely male-dominated society.

“This is historic,” said Aliya Hamza Malik, a member of parliament from the governing Tehreek-e-Insaf bloc. “It is a defining moment for women’s empowerment in the country.”

Malik’s historic nomination will now go before a parliamentary committee, which is expected to confirm a 10-year term.

After being first voted on by the JCP in Sept. 2021, there was a split vote, which rejected Malik’s candidacy. According to the Supreme Court Bar Association, there were reservations regarding her seniority.

Malik became a high court judge in 2021, and she is currently fourth on the Lahore High Court seniority list. She will likely work as a Supreme Court judge until her retirement in 2031, and she is poised to become the Chief Justice of Pakistan in January 2030.

Image source: The Week