- Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 7 February, 2018, by President Mamnoon Hussain
- Justice Mansoor Ali Shah served as Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court from 27 June, 2016, to 6 February, 2018.
- He served as Justice of Lahore High Court from 15 September, 2009, to 27 June, 2016.
Early Life
Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was born on 28 November, 1962 in Peshawar. He got his schooling from Aitchison College, Lahore.
He attended University of Punjab where he obtained a degree in Masters in Economics. He received his law degree from Downing College, University of Cambridge, UK.
Career
He joined private practice as a founding partner of Afridi, Shah & Minallah, and took a keen interest in public interest litigation focusing on environmental issues and sustainable development.
Lahore High Court
Mansoor Ali Shah was elevated as a judge of the Lahore High Court and served from 15 September, 2009, to 27 June, 2016
He was appointed Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court on 27 June 2016 and served till 6 February 6, 2018.
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is serving as a judge of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan. He was elevated to the post on 7 February, 2018, by President Mamnoon Hussain.
According to the seniority in composition of court, he will become the 31st Chief Justice of Pakistan from 5 August, 2025, to 27 November, 2027.
Areas of Interest
His areas of interest are constitutional law, human rights, climate change and water justice, environmental sustainability, disability rights, criminology, digital surveillance, privacy and proportionality.
He believes in continuous judicial reforms and underlines the need for Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Video Linking, Human Resource Development, and Restructuring of the District Judiciary.
Reforms
As the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, he spearheaded the formation of Alternate Dispute Resolution Centers (ADRC) in Punjab.
He also set up the first-ever Gender Based Violence Court (GBV) and a Child Court at Lahore besides Criminal and Civil Model Courts.
He introduced Case Management and Court Automation Systems at the Lahore High Court and the District Courts.
He helped restructure the curriculum at the Punjab Judicial Academy. He played a foundational role in setting up the Lahore High Court Research Centre (LHCRC).
At the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he helped establish e-courts by video linking the principal seat with Provincial Registries of the Supreme Court.
He also helped establish the Supreme Court Research Centre (SCRC) and SC Judicial Mobile Application to help lawyers.
Hobbies and Interests
He is an avid golfer, loves sports and enjoys cycling, reading, travelling, and music. He is generally viewed as an independent-minded and reformist judge.
He had a passion for teaching and taught law for almost two decades at various institutions including Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Punjab Law College, Pakistan College of Law, Lahore, and the Civil Services Academy, Lahore.
Memberships
- Honorary Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, UK
- Judicial Member of Global Judicial Institute on Environment (GJIE) (Brazil)
- Member of Global Constitutionalism (Yale University, 2020 – Present)
- Member of Rhodes Scholarship Committee for Pakistan (2019 – Present).
