ISLAMABAD – Justice Mussarat Hilali has made history in Pakistan by becoming the second woman since the country’s independence to be elevated to the Supreme Court.
In a ceremony attended by esteemed judges, legal professionals, and the Attorney General for Pakistan, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial administered the oath to Justice Hilali at the apex court. This appointment brings the total number of judges in the top court to 16, with one slot still vacant.
Justice Hilali, who previously served as the first female Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, will hold the position of Supreme Court judge for a three-year term before her retirement. Her tenure marks another milestone as she became the first woman to hold the position of Chief Justice in any high court within the country. Justice Ayesha A Malik achieved the distinction of being the first woman elevated to the Supreme Court in 2022.
Born on August 8, 1961, in Peshawar, Justice Hilali obtained her law degree from Khyber Law College, Peshawar University. She embarked on her legal career by enrolling as an Advocate of District Courts in 1983, subsequently becoming an Advocate of the High Court in 1988 and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006.
Throughout her career, Justice Hilali has broken barriers and achieved numerous milestones as a female legal professional. She held various esteemed positions, including being the first female office-bearer elected as secretary at the bar from 1988 to 1989 and serving as the Vice President at the bar on two occasions from 1992 to 1994. She also served as the General Secretary from 1997 to 1998 and became the first female elected twice as an executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association from 2007 to 2009.
Justice Hilali’s accomplishments extend beyond her legal career. She served as the first female Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from November 2001 to March 2004 and later assumed the role of the first female Chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal. Furthermore, she played a vital role as the first female ombudsman for protection against workplace harassment.
After her initial appointment as an additional judge on March 26, 2013, Justice Hilali was confirmed as a permanent judge of the Peshawar High Court on March 13, 2014. Subsequently, she took the oath as the acting Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court on April 1, 2023, and was later confirmed as the Chief Justice on May 12, 2023.
President appoints Justice Musarrat Hilali to Supreme Court of Pakistan
