Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, is receiving the 2025 Bolch Judicial Institute Rule of Law Award. The Susan and Carl Bolch Jr. Prize for the Rule of Law is awarded annually to an individual or organization who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the rule of law and advancing rule of law principles around the world. The award will be presented at an evening ceremony at the Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, North Carolina on April 16, 2025. HPU Law Dean Mark Martin will be in attendance.
Chief Justice Jillani has been a member of the High Point Law Extended Faculty since 2022. He served as the 21st Chief Justice of Pakistan from 2013 to 2014. He previously served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 2004, after being nominated as a justice of the Lahore High Court by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1994. Jillani is a strong proponent of civil liberties and fundamental rights—authoring landmark decisions on women’s rights and the right to education. He also authored the suo moto decision on the protection of minorities and freedom of religion after the Peshawar church attack in 2013, widely viewed as the broadest interpretation of Pakistan’s religious freedom laws.
Reflecting on Chief Justice Jillani’s Rule of Law Award, former Chief Justice and Founding Dean Mark Martin stated:
“Chief Justice Jillani championed civil liberties and freedom as the top jurist in Pakistan. His public service made a huge difference in Pakistan and across the globe. We are all indebted to him for his extraordinary contributions.”