- Umar Ata Bandial currently serves as the 28th Chief Justice of Pakistan.
- He has serving as Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan since 17 June 2014.
- He served as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court from 1 June 2012 to 16 June 2014.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial is currently serving as the 28th Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Early life and family
Umar Ata Bandial was born on 17 September 1958 in Lahore. His father Fateh Khan Bandial served as caretaker Interior Minister from 23 July to 19 October 1993 and as Deputy Commissioner of Lahore.
Bandial received his elementary and secondary education at different schools in Kohat, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore.
He got his Senior Cambridge certificate in 1973 from St. Mary’s Academy, Rawalpindi, and Higher Senior Cambridge certificate from Aitchison College in 1975.
He secured his B.A. (Economics) degree from Columbia University, USA in 1979 followed by a Law Tripos degree from Cambridge University, UK in 1981.
In 1982, he qualified as Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London. In the same year, he was enrolled as an Advocate of the Lahore High Court as he embarked on his law career.
Law career
Umar Ata Bandial established his law practice at Lahore dealing mostly with commercial, banking, tax and property law matters.
He got the opportunity of assisting and working with renowned lawyer including Aitzaz Ahsan, Khalid Anwer and Fakharuddin G. Ebrahim in a number of commercial and constitutional cases.
Umar Ata Bandial also handled international commercial disputes from 1993 until his elevation to the high court. He appeared in arbitration matters before the Supreme Court of Pakistan and foreign arbitral tribunals in London and Paris.
He remained professionally associated in the Hitachi-Rupali dispute (1998), Hubco-GoP dispute (2000), Ghazi Barotha Contractors-WAPDA dispute (2001) and Bayinder NHA dispute (2004).
Umar Ata Bandial also taught contract law and torts law at the Punjab University Law College for four years until 1987. He remained a member of its graduate studies committee while serving as LHC judge.
Lahore High Court
Justice Umar Ata Bandial was elevated as Judge of the Lahore High Court on 4 December 2004. He was one of the judges who declined to take oath under PCO in November 2007. He was restored as judge after the lawyers and civil society movement for the revival of the judiciary.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial was appointed as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court on 1 June 2012 and served until his elevation to the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 17 June 2014.
Important judgements
During his career as Judge of the Lahore High Court, Justice Bandial rendered judgments on a number of important public law and private law issues.
In respect of constitutional mandates, these include the affirmation of the autonomy and independence of the office of Chief Election Commissioner, and the sanctity of the office of the President as a symbol of the unity of the Federation requiring its detachment from political involvement and activity.
He also stressed the enforcement of transparency and merit criteria for the appointment of Provincial Public Prosecutors under the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service Act, 2006 in his judgment.
A judgment laid down the necessity of ensuring transparency and competition in governmental licensing of Hajj Group Organizers in Rs.9.25 billion annual business. He declared the Lahore skyline to be a public property for local authority regulation to erect billboards and sky signs.
His judgment declared the decisions of the Council of Common Interests in the matter of Kalabagh Dam to possess sanctity and enforceability unless modified according to the Constitution.
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice Bandial’s appointment as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) was approved by President Dr Arif Alvi on 13 January 2022. He was sworn in on 2 February 2022.
In his first month, he initiated reforms in various organs of the Supreme Court, including the Case Management System to ensure the provision of speedy justice.
He reorganized the bodies dealing with administrative and judicial powers, including the building committee, record enrolment committee, research affairs branch, and law clerk programme.
Justice Bandial was elected as chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judicial Commission of Pakistan, and Law and Justice Commission.
Retirement
Justice Bandial will serve as the Chief Justice of Pakistan until his retirement on 16 September 2023. He will be succeeded by Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
