Qanoondan and Courting The Law have started a new series of Weekly Case Law Bulletin to provide a quick roundup of important legal judgments of the […]
Seniority or Competence? Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s Dilemma
The elevation of judges to the apex court has stirred debate for some time now. It has birthed two opposing standards for elevation: seniority and competence. […]
The Iron Lady
“Iron lady” as a metaphor is often used to describe strong, uncompromising female heads of government around the world. The phrase was first used for Margaret […]
Seniority vs Fitness in the Appointment of Supreme Court Judges
The possible appointment of Justice Ayesha Malik to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the Judicial Commission, regardless of the principle of seniority, has once again […]
Draconian Law to Remove Civil Servants Arbitrarily
Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, while addressing a group of civil servants in April 1948, shared the following words: “The first thing that I want to tell […]
Manual for Capital Defence Lawyers in Pakistan
In March 2021, the Foundation for Fundamental Rights (FFR) and Reprieve UK launched a Manual for Capital Defence Lawyers in Pakistan, which is available online here: https://capitaldefencemanualpk.com/ […]
Timely Abolishment of the Two-Finger Test Would Have Favoured Mukhtaran Mai’s Rape Appeal – In Conversation with Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan
[TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Content] Ever since Justice Ayesha Malik ruled in favour of the abolishment of the abhorrent two-finger test in rape cases, I was intrigued […]
Fundamental Rights and How to Enforce Them
“Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where people are fed and where individuals and nations are free.” – Dalai Lama. Introduction to Human […]
Free Download: Case-Law Update by Supreme Court Research Centre (Oct-Dec 2020)
Download a free copy of the first volume of case-law updates published by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Research Centre for the quarterly period of October-December, […]
Extending Women’s Rights to Unilateral, No-Fault Based Khula
The injunctions of Islam regarding gender are based on equality without any discrimination whatsoever. However, women in Pakistan have been struggling to obtain these rights guaranteed […]
Rights of Illegitimate Children in Pakistan: Sunni and Shia Law Perspectives
Introduction Under Islamic law, a child born out of wedlock is considered filius nullius (“a son of nobody”) and considered to own no lineage to the […]
Welfare Funds in Pakistan: Pro-People Laws, Insensitive Legislators
“Raising the living standard and socio-economic uplift of industrial workers is the cornerstone of the government policy, which is being achieved by providing the basic and […]
Capital Punishment Study Reveals 78% of Death Penalty Cases Overturned by Supreme Court
Download a copy of the Pakistan Capital Punishment Study here: Pakistan Capital Punishment Study (FFR & Reprieve) Between 2010 and 2018, Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned 78% of […]
Discontinuance of Insensitive Words For Persons with Different Abilities
Download a copy of the recent decision in Malik Ubaidullah v Government of Punjab (2020) here: c.p._140_l_2015 “Our Constitution, as a whole, does not distinguish between a […]
Judicial Review of Administrative Actions of the Judges of Superior Courts
All public functionaries must exercise public authority, especially when dealing with public property, public funds and assets, in a fair, just, transparent and reasonable manner, untainted […]
Free Download: Case-Law Update by Supreme Court Research Centre (April-June 2020)
Download a free copy of the first volume of case-law updates published by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Research Centre for the quarterly period of April-June, […]
The Reference is Dead; Long Live the Reference
Article 209 (5) may have been the provision that made way for the President of Pakistan to file a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. But […]