History has been made as a divided Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved the nomination of the first woman judge to join the Supreme Court (SC).
Lahore High Court Justice Ayesha A. Malik’s nomination was secured by a majority of five to four during a heated JCP session that lasted nearly three-and-a-half hours, reports Dawn.
She may even have a chance to become the first woman to be Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan. If she is elevated following approval from an eight-member bipartisan parliamentary committee, Justice Malik will remain a judge of the SC until 2031.
The justice gave her landmark judgment back in June, when she had declared virginity tests for examination of sexual assault survivors “illegal and against the Constitution of Pakistan”. She was called upon as an expert witness in family law cases conducted in England and Australia involving issues of child custody, divorce, women’s rights, and constitutional protection for women in Pakistan.
Following the news, congratulations are in order and people have shared their happiness on Twitter.
