ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J) Monday issued the notification regarding appointment of senior puisne Supreme Court judge Justice Umar Ata Bandial as Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) from February 2.
The notification issued by Secretary MoL&J Raja Naeem Akbar stated that “In exercise of powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 175-A read with Article 177 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the most senior judge of Supreme Court, as Chief Justice of Pakistan with effect from 02.02.2022.”
Justice Bandial will continue as the chief justice till his retirement on September 18, 2023, and will hold the position for 19 months.
CJP Gulzar Ahmed will retire after working in the top judicial position for more than two years. Justice Ahmed assumed office on December 21, 2019, replacing ex-CJP Justice Saqib Nisar.
Supreme Court judges, including the chief justice, retire once they are 65, while high court justices superannuate on reaching 62 years of age under the constitution.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial was elevated as Judge of the Lahore High Court on 04.12.2004. He declined oath under PCO in November, 2007 but was restored as a Judge of the Lahore High Court as a result of the lawyers and civil society movement for revival of the Judiciary and Constitutional rule in the country. Later, he served for two years as Chief Justice, Lahore High Court until his elevation as Judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan in June 2014.
During his career as Judge of the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial has rendered judgments on a number of important public law and private law issues. These include pronouncements on civil and commercial disputes, Constitutional rights and public interest matters.
He secured his B.A. (Economics) degree from Columbia University, USA, followed by a Law Tripos degree from Cambridge University, UK and qualified as Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London. In 1983, he was enrolled as an Advocate of the Lahore High Court and some years later, as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.