The Lahore High Court (Urdu: عدالتِ عالیہ لاہور) is a provincial court house based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on 21 March 1882.[1] The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over the province of Punjab. The High Court's principal seat is in Lahore, but there are benches in three other cities of the province: Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.[2]
| Lahore High Court عدالتِ عالیہ لاہور | |
|---|---|
 Lahore High Court logo | |
 Lahore High Court Building | |
| Established | 21 March 1882 |
| Jurisdiction |  Punjab |
| Location | Principal Seat: Lahore-54000 Circuit Benches: Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi |
| Composition method | Judicial Commission of Pakistan |
| Authorised by | Constitution of Pakistan |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of Pakistan |
| Appeals from | District Courts of Punjab |
| Judge term length | Till 62 years of age |
| Number of positions | 60 |
| Website | lhc |
| Chief Justice of Lahore High Court | |
| Currently | Aalia Neelum |
| Since | 11 July 2024 |
A proposal was sent by lawyers to set up new high court benches in Faisalabad, Sialkot, D.G.Khan and Gujranwala divisions but full court of Lahore High Court turned down this request.[3]
History
editCreation
editIn 1849, the East India Company defeated the Sikh Empire and assumed control of administration within the Punjab. A Board of Administration was constituted and the Punjab was divided into Divisions, Districts and Tehsils. The Divisions were controlled by Commissioners, Districts by Deputy Commissioners and Tehsils by an Assistant and Extra Assistant Commissioners.[4]
The Board of Administration consisted of Sir Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence and Charles Grenville Mansel[5]
Chief Court of the Punjab Lahore High Court
edit
In 1858 the Punjab, along with the rest of British India, came under the direct rule of the British crown and decisions with regard to administration and justice were now made under the authority of the monarch, Queen Victoria.[6] By 1864, a proliferation of court cases necessitated an expansion to the judicial structure in the province. The Punjab Courts Act, (XIX of 1865) introduced seven grades of courts, combining judicial and administrative functions and claiming jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. The Court of Tehsildar was the lowest court, whilst the Court of the Judicial Commissioner became the highest court in the land.[7]
Over time, as appeals to the Chief Court greatly increased, later Acts namely the Punjab Courts Act, (XVII of 1877) and Punjab Courts Act, (XVIII of 1884) repealed earlier Acts and restated the law regarding the courts' constitution, powers and jurisdiction.[5] Additional judges were appointed, and greater finality was granted to the decisions of the lower appellate courts.[5] By 1884, there were four classes of courts subordinate to the Chief Court, namely the Divisional Court, the Court of the District Judge, the Court of the Subordinate Judge, the Court of Munsif.[8]
Lahore High Court
editOn 1 October 1882, the Chief Court of the Punjab Court was elevated to the status of a Lahore High Court, becoming known as Lahore High Court, King-Emperor George V also appointed a Chief Justice and six puisne justices, and declared the Court's jurisdiction over the Punjab and Delhi provinces.[5]
The Government of India Act, 1935 removed the barrier that the Chief Justice must be a Barrister Judge and opened the position to Civilian Judges. An age limit of 60 years was set for High Court Judges.[5]
By virtue of the Government of India (High Court Judges) Order, 1937, a maximum number of Judges for the various High Courts in India was fixed. In each case the number so stated was exclusive of the Chief Justice but included all additional judges. For the Lahore High Court the maximum number was fixed at 15.[5]
The West Pakistan High Court
editOn 30 September 1955, the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan established the province of West Pakistan, and gave the Governor-General the power to establish the West Pakistan High Court, which was established in 1956. Judges from the Chief Court of Sind and the Judicial Commissioners Court at Peshawar became judges at the West Pakistan High Court.[9]
Creation Of Divisional Benches
editOn 1 January 1981, it was ordered that the Lahore High Court would create benches at Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi. The order also specified that the Lahore High Court judges could hold circuit courts anywhere in the province, with judges nominated by the Lahore High Court Chief Justice.[citation needed]
Chief Justices
editThe first Chief Justice at Lahore was Sir Henry Meredyth Plowden in 1880. The current Chief Justice is Aalia Neelum, incumbent since 11 July 2024.
List of chief justices
editThe following table lists all the chief justices to date.[10]
| Portrait | Pakistan justice | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Court of the Lahore | ||||
| Sir Henry Meredyth Plowden | 1880 | 1895 | ||
| Sir Charles Arthur Roe | 1895 | 1898 | ||
| Sir William Ovens Clark | 1898 | 1909 | ||
| Sir Arthur Hay Stewart Reid | 1909 | 1914 | ||
| Sir Alfred Kensington | 1914 | 1915 | ||
| Sir Donald Campbell Johnstone | 1915 | 1917 | ||
| Sir Henry Adolphus Rattigan | 1917 | 1919 | ||
| Lahore High Court | ||||
| Sir Shadi Lal | 1920 | 1934 | First Indian Chief Justice of any High Court in India | |
| Sir John Douglas Young | 1934 | 1943 | ||
| Sir Arthur Trevor Harries | 1943 | 1946 | ||
| Sir Mian Abdul Rashid | 1946 | 1948 | ||
| Muhammad Munir | 1949 | 1954 | ||
| Sheikh Abdul Rahman | 1954 | 1958 | ||
| Muhammad Rustam Kayani | 1958 | 1962 | ||
| Manzur Qadir | 1962 | 1963 | ||
| Abdul Aziz Khan | 1963 | 1965 | ||
| Inamullah Khan | 1965 | 1967 | ||
| Waheed-ud-Din Ahmad | 1967 | 1969 | ||
| Qadeeruddin Ahmed | 1969 | 1970 | ||
| Sheikh Anwarul Haq | 1970 | 1972 | ||
| Sardar Muhammad Iqbal | 1972 | 1976 | ||
| Aslam Riaz Hussain | 1976 | 1978 | ||
| Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain | 1978 | 1980 | ||
| Shamim Hussain Qadri | 1980 | 1982 | ||
| Javed Iqbal | 1982 | 1986 | ||
| Ghulam Mujaddid Mirza | 1986 | 1988 | ||
| Abdul Shakurul Salam | 1988 | 1989 | ||
| Muhammad Rafiq Tarar | 1989 | 1991 | ||
| Mian Mahboob Ahmad | 1991 | 1995 | ||
| Khalil-Ur-Rehman Khan | 1996 | 1996 | ||
| Sheikh Ijaz Nisar | 1996 | 1997 | ||
| Sheikh Riaz Ahmad | 1997 | 1997 | ||
| Rashid Aziz Khan | 1997 | 2000 | ||
| Mian Allah Nawaz | 2000 | 2000 | ||
| Falak Sher | 2000 | 2002 | ||
| Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain | 2002 | 2007 | ||
| Sayed Zahid Hussain | 2008 | 2009 | ||
| Khawaja Muhammad Sharif | 2009 | 2010 | ||
| Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed | 2010 | 2011 | ||
| Azmat Saeed | 2011 | 2012 | ||
| Umar Ata Bandial | 2012 | 2014 | ||
| Imtiaz Ahmad | 2014 | 2015 | ||
| Manzoor Ahmad Malik | 2015 | 2015 | ||
| Ijazul Ahsan | 2015 | 2016 | ||
| Syed Mansoor Ali Shah | 2016 | 2018 | ||
| Muhammad Yawar Ali | 2018 | 2018 | ||
| Muhammad Anwaarul Haq | 2018 | 2018 | ||
| Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan | 2019 | 2019 | ||
| Mamoon Rashid Sheikh | 2020 | 2020 | ||
| Muhammad Qasim Khan | 2020 | 2021 | ||
| Muhammad Ameer Bhatti | 2021 | 2023 | ||
| Malik Shehzad Ahmed Khan | 2024 | 2024 | ||
| Shujaat Ali Khan (acting) | 2024 | 2024 | ||
| Aalia Neelum | 2024 | present | ||
Current composition
editLahore High Court is headed by a Chief Justice. The bench consist of sixty Justices and additional judges. The retirement age of Chief Justice and Justices is 62 years. The Additional Judges are initially appointed for one year. After that, their services could either be extended or they could be confirmed or they are retired. The current Chief Justice of Lahore High Court is Justice Aalia Neelum and Court is currently made up of the following Justices (in order of seniority).[11]
| No. | Name | Appointment | Retirement | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aalia Neelum | 12 April 2013 | 11 November 2028 | Chief Justice Since 11 July 2024 |
| 2 | Shujaat Ali Khan | 27 March 2012 | 22 April 2026 | |
| 3 | Ali Baqar Najafi | 16 April 2012 | 14 September 2025 | |
| 4 | Abid Aziz Sheikh | 12 April 2013 | 25 April 2029 | |
| 5 | Sadaqat Ali Khan | 12 April 2013 | 20 January 2029 | |
| 6 | Shams Mehmood Mirza | 22 March 2014 | 6 March 2028 | |
| 7 | Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi | 22 March 2014 | 21 April 2028 | |
| 8 | Faisal Zaman Khan | 22 March 2014 | 30 July 2029 | |
| 9 | Masud Abid Naqvi | 7 November 2014 | 4 July 2026 | |
| 10 | Shahid Karim | 7 November 2014 | 19 August 2026 | |
| 11 | Mirza Viqas Rauf | 7 November 2014 | 26 April 2028 | |
| 12 | Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal | 7 November 2014 | 31 October 2028 | |
| 13 | Shehram Sarwar Chaudhary | 8 June 2015 | 23 April 2030 | |
| 14 | Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi | 8 June 2015 | 18 May 2030 | |
| 15 | Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar | 8 June 2015 | 2 July 2030 | |
| 16 | Asjad Javaid Ghural | 26 November 2016 | 29 April 2026 | |
| 17 | Tariq Saleem Sheikh | 26 November 2016 | 23 June 2027 | |
| 18 | Jawad Hassan | 26 November 2016 | 27 July 2029 | |
| 19 | Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir | 26 November 2016 | 13 January 2031 | |
| 20 | Chauhdry Abdul Aziz | 26 November 2016 | 8 September 2033 | |
| 21 | Anwaarul Haq Pannun | 23 October 2018 | 27 March 2025 | |
| 22 | Farooq Haider | 23 October 2018 | 23 April 2030 | |
| 23 | Muhammad Waheed Khan | 23 October 2018 | 27 April 2031 | |
| 24 | Rasaal Hasan Syed | 23 October 2018 | 10 September 2032 | |
| 25 | Asim Hafeez | 23 October 2018 | 13 September 2032 | |
| 26 | Sadiq Mahmud Khurram | 23 October 2018 | 7 January 2035 | |
| 27 | Ahmad Nadeem Arshad | 7 May 2021 | 1 May 2027 | |
| 28 | Mohammad Tariq Nadim | 7 May 2021 | 18 July 2029 | |
| 39 | Mohammad Amjad Rafique | 7 May 2021 | 1 February 2032 | |
| 30 | Abid Hussain Chathha | 7 May 2021 | 1 April 2034 | |
| 31 | Anwaar Hussain | 7 May 2021 | 15 January 2035 | |
| 32 | Ali Zia Bajwa | 7 May 2021 | 30 June 2035 | |
| 33 | Sultan Tanvir Ahmed | 7 May 2021 | 27 August 2035 | |
| 34 | Muhammad Raza Qureshi | 7 May 2021 | 14 September 2035 | |
| 35 | Raheel Kamran Sheikh | 7 May 2021 | 20 January 2036 | |
| 36 | Vacant | |||
| 37 | Vacant | |||
| 38 | Vacant | |||
| 39 | Vacant | |||
| 40 | Vacant | |||
| 41 | Vacant | |||
| 42 | Vacant | |||
| 43 | Vacant | |||
| 44 | Vacant | |||
| 45 | Vacant | |||
| 46 | Vacant | |||
| 47 | Vacant | |||
| 48 | Vacant | |||
| 49 | Vacant | |||
| 50 | Vacant | |||
| 51 | Vacant | |||
| 52 | Vacant | |||
| 53 | Vacant | |||
| 54 | Vacant | |||
| 55 | Vacant | |||
| 56 | Vacant | |||
| 57 | Vacant | |||
| 58 | Vacant | |||
| 59 | Vacant | |||
| 60 | Vacant |
PCO 25 March 1981
editThe PCO of 1981 also afforded the Lahore High Court these three benches. The judges were required to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order. Four judges refused to do so and were relieved of office. Four other judges were not administered the oath, and were also relieved of office.[13]
PCO 26 January 2000
edit- Sir Rashid Aziz Khan Took oath under PCO
- Mian Allah Nawaz Took oath under PCO
- Falak Sher Took oath under PCO
- Ehsanul Haq Chaudhry Did not Take oath under PCO
- Tanvir Ahmad Khan Took oath under PCO
- Amir Alam Khan Took oath under PCO
- Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry Took oath under PCO
- Fakhar-un-Nisa Khokhar Took oath under PCO
- Ghulam Mehmood Qureshi Took oath under PCO
- Karamat Nazir Bhandari Took oath under PCO
- Javed Buttar Took oath under PCO
- Mohammad Asif Jan Took oath under PCO
- Mohammad Nasim Chaudhri Took oath under PCO
- Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Took oath under PCO
- Tassadaq Hussain Jilani Took oath under PCO
- Raja Mohammad Sabir Took oath under PCO
- Sayed Zahid Hussain Took oath under PCO
- Munir Ahmad Mughal Took oath under PCO
- Fakir Mohammad Khokar Took oath under PCO
- Abdul Razzaq Sheikh Took oath under PCO
- Zafar Pasha Chaudhary Took oath under PCO
- Mumtaz Ali Mirza Took oath under PCO
- Asif Saeed Khan Khosa Took oath under PCO
- Ch. Ijaz Ahmad Took oath under PCO
- Iftikhar Ahmad Cheema Took oath under PCO
- Jawad S Khawaja Took oath under PCO
- Khwaja Mohammad Sharif Took oath under PCO
- Mian Mohammad Najam-uz-Zaman Took oath under PCO
- Mian Saqib Nisar Took oath under PCO
- Mian Zafar Yasin Took oath under PCO
- Riaz Kayani Took oath under PCO
- Najamul Hassan Kazmi Did not Take oath under PCO
- Syed Jamshed Ali Took oath under PCO
- Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday Took oath under PCO
- Malik Mohammad Qayyum Took oath under PCO
- Nazir Akhtar Took oath under PCO
- Ali Nawaz Chohan Took oath under PCO
- Bashir A Mujahid Took oath under PCO
- Naeemullah Sherwani Took oath under PCO
- Molvi Anwar-ul-Haq Took oath under PCO
- Akhtar Shabbir Took oath under PCO
- Naseem Sikandar Took oath under PCO
- Nazir Siddique Took oath under PCO
PCO 3 November 2007
edit- Iftikhar Hussain Ch Take oath under PCo as chief justice
- Khawja Muhammad Sharif Refused oath under PCo
- Sayyed Zahid Hussain Take oath under PCo
- Mian M Najamuz Zaman Take oath under PCo
- Mian Saqib Nisar Refused oath under PCo
- Asif Saeed Khan Khosa Refused oath under PCo
- Maulvi Anwarul Haq Take oath under PCo
- Nasim Sikandar Take oath under PCo
- Abdul Shakoor Paracha Take oath under PCo
- Mohammad Khalid Alvi Take oath under PCo
- Muhammad Sair Ali Refused oath under PCo
- Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Refused oath under PCo
- Mian Hamid Farooq Take oath under PCo
- M. Bilal Khan Take oath under PCo
- Fazale Miran Chauhan Take oath under PCo
- Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi Take oath under PCo
- M. A. Shahid Siddiqui Refused oath under PCo
- Syed Sakhi Hussain Bokhari Take oath under PCo
- Sardar Mohammad Aslam Take oath under PCo
- Sheikh Hakim Ali Take oath under PCo
- Mohammad Muzammal Khan Take oath under PCo
- Muhammad Jhangir Arshad Refused oath under PCo
- Sh. Azmat Saeed Refused oath under PCo
- Syed Hamid Ali Shah Take oath under PCo
- Umar AttaBandial Refused oath under PCo
- Sh. Javaid Sarfraz Take oath under PCo
- Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah Take oath under PCo
- Tariq Shamim Take oath under PCo
- Syed Asghar Haider Take oath under PCo
- Hasnat Ahmad Khan Take oath under PCo
- Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman Refused oath under PCo
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ N. R. Madhava Menon, ed. (2002). Criminal Justice India Series: Punjab, 2002. Allied Publishers. p. 234. ISBN 978-81-7764-490-6.
- ^ "Hon'ble Sitting Judges | Lahore High Court". Data.lhc.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Lahore High Court". Lhc.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "History of the High Court | Lahore High Court". Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "History of The High Court". Lahore High Court. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ Hibbert 2000, p. 221
- ^ Nasser Hussain, The Jurisprudence of Emergency: Colonialism and the Rule of Law, University of Michigan Press, 11 Nov 2009, ISBN 0472023519, 9780472023516, p.148
- ^ FBR. "Lahore High Court – Federal Board Of Revenue Government Of Pakistan". Fbr.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "150 Years of Lahore High Court!". 150.lhc.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Former Chief Justices". Lahore High Court. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "Automation of Lahore High Court | PITB". Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Sitting Judges". Sindh High Court. 2 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "History of the High Court". Lahore High Court. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.