Justice Hilali Becomes First Woman Chief Justice of PHC

Sat Apr 01 2023
icon-facebook icon-twitter icon-whatsapp

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court got its first female chief justice as Justice Mussarat Hilali took the oath of her office here on Saturday.

 

Upon the retirement of Peshawar High Court chief justice Qaiser Rashid Khan on March 30, the senior most court judge, Justice Noorul Amin Khan, was appointed as the acting Chief Justice. But his stint lasted just a day.

 

After Justice Rashid Khan’s retirement on March 31 (yesterday), a day after he took over as the acting Chief Justice, Justice Mussarat Hilali had been appointed as the first woman acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court. The president had appointed her as the acting chief justice until the appointment of a regular incumbent.

 

Justice Mussarat Hilali was appointed as the additional judge of the PHC in 2013 and became a regular judge in 2014. Chief Justice Hilali’s tenure will end in August this year. She will serve as chief justice of the Peshawar High Court for five months.

 

Who is Justice Mussarat Hilali?

 

Born on 8 August 1961 in Batkhela village of Malakand division, Justice Mussarat Hilali received her primary education at her native town and then moved to Peshawar for higher education. After obtaining an LLB degree from Khyber Law College Peshawar University, she started practising law as a profession.

 

She obtained her district court licence in 1983, the high court in 1988 and then the Supreme Court in 2006.

 

Justice Mussarat played a central role in the lawyers’ freedom movement of 2007. One of her legs was fractured while being arrested during the movement.

 

She also has the honour of being the vice president of the Peshawar High Court and the first woman additional advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

 

Female lawyers welcomed the appointment of Justice Mussarat Hilali as the first female chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.

icon-facebook icon-twitter icon-whatsapp