LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was published on Saturday as an Honorary Bencher of the Honourable Society of Lincoln Inn.
Lincoln Inn Treasurer Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, published the CJ as an Honorary Bencher. All the members of the LHC delegation visiting London and other relevant persons, including Pakistani students, attended the lunch and witnessed history in the making.
This monumental occasion marked the acknowledgement of distinct achievements of CJ Mansoor Ali Shah for reforming the administration of justice in Punjab, which was a matter of pride for the judiciary in Pakistan. After the publication, the chief justice and other guests had lunch with officials and students of Lincoln Inn.
Earlier, a part of the delegation visited the United Kingdom (UK) Supreme Court (SC) and met with SC President Lady Hale, and Justices Lord Carnwath, Lady Black and Lord Lloyd-Jones, and discussed matters of mutual interest, including administration of justice.
The chief justice briefly apprised the UK SC president and justices about the ongoing reforms in the judicial system of Punjab. Meanwhile, Lady Hale and other justices shared their experiences and understanding of matters related to justice delivery sector. At the end of the meeting, the judicial dignitaries also exchanged souvenirs as a token of respect.
Later, Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and the delegation arrived at Oxford University China Centre where they held a meeting with Professor Dr Mathew Erie and exchanged views about building linkages with the China Centre to educate the judges of Punjab about the intricacies of the Chinese legal system which would benefit them to perform their duties effectively, especially in regard to CPEC related activities.
Subsequently, the CJ and the LHC delegation attended a talk arranged in the conference hall of Pembroke College, Oxford where a large of number of Pakistani students and teachers were present.
While speaking on the occasion, the chief justice highlighted the challenges being faced by the justice delivery sector in Punjab and gave an overview of the ongoing process of reforms in Punjab’s judiciary.
He informed the participants that the object of all the judicial reforms being carried out in Punjab was to reduce the shelf life of a case, which would have the ultimate effect of easing the life of an ordinary man. At the end of the talk, the chief justice answered questions put forward by the students.