Justice Ayesha Malik honoured with 'international leader' award in Vienna

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Ayesha Malik has been conferred the International Leader/Lifetime Award at the Justitia Awards 2026 held in Vienna, Austria.

The prestigious award recognised her distinguished contribution to the development of law and justice, as well as her sustained efforts to advance equality, human rights and the meaningful participation of women in the legal profession and institutions of justice.

Presented before judges, lawyers and legal professionals from different jurisdictions, the honour also acknowledged the wider significance of women occupying positions from which they can influence legal reasoning, institutional practices and the development of law.

During her visit to Vienna, Justice Malik also participated in the Women in Law Conference 2026, where she addressed the session titled “Roadmap to Equality and Women’s Rights in Practice”.

Reflecting on her professional journey — from her appointment to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in 2012 to becoming the first woman judge of the SC in 2022—she discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with serving as a woman judge and the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into legal reasoning and judicial practice.

Justice Malik emphasised that the pursuit of equality must extend beyond formal legal guarantees and take into account the contexts in which women experience and engage with the law.

She underscored the need for legal principles and judicial institutions to respond effectively to women’s lived realities and also referred to aspects of her jurisprudence concerning dignity, equality and the treatment of women within the justice system.

The conferment of the award constitutes a proud recognition of Justice Malik’s judicial contribution and reflects Pakistan’s growing representation and distinction within the international legal community.

The Pakistan-based Women in Law initiative termed the award a “proud moment” for Pakistan.

In a post on X, it pointed out that Justice Malik was the third Pakistani woman to receive a Justitia Award, with each woman awarded one in each category.

These included Justice Malik in the International Leader/Lifetime Award category, rights activist Jalila Haider in the International Game Changer category in 2023, and Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry for the International Academia category.