Justice Ayesha Malik receives Lifetime Award in Vienna

Supreme Court's Justice Ayesha Malik has been honored with the International Leader/Lifetime Award at the Justitia Awards 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The prestigious accolade celebrated her significant contributions to the evolution of law and justice, as well as her ongoing efforts to promote equality, human rights, and women's active involvement in the legal realm and justice systems.

Addressing judges, lawyers, and legal professionals from various jurisdictions, the honor also highlighted the broader importance of women holding positions that enable them to impact legal reasoning, institutional practices, and the advancement of law. During her Vienna visit, Justice Malik attended the Women in Law Conference 2026, where she spoke on the session "Roadmap to Equality and Women's Rights in Practice."

Reflecting on her career journey—from her appointment to the Lahore High Court in 2012 to becoming the first female judge of the Supreme Court in 2022—she examined the obstacles and prospects linked to serving as a woman judge and the significance of integrating a gender perspective into judicial reasoning and practices. Justice Malik stressed that achieving equality should encompass more than mere legal guarantees and must account for the circumstances under which women interact with the law.

She stressed the necessity for legal tenets and judicial institutions to effectively address women's lived experiences and referred to aspects of her jurisprudence concerning dignity, equality, and women's treatment within the justice system. The award's awarding represents a proud recognition of Justice Malik's judicial contributions and showcases Pakistan's increasing representation and prestige within the international legal community.

The Pakistan-based Women in Law initiative described the honor as a "proud moment" for Pakistan, noting that Justice Malik was the third Pakistani woman to receive a Justitia Award, following rights activist Jalila Haider (International Game Changer category in 2023) and Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry (International Academia category).