Roundtable on judiciary’s role in climate gap

Islamabad:Justice Jawad Hassan from Lahore High Court highlighting Pakistan’s pioneering role in climate litigation referencing, has stressed how Pakistani courts shaped a credible climate jurisprudence recognised internationally.

Justice Hassan was delivering keynote address at roundtable on "Bridging the climate gap: mediation and climate conscious lawyering" organised here by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA). Barrister Sarah Kazmi from International Bar Council moderated.

Justice Hassan said that Pakistan is the first country to deliver judgments mandating climate mitigation and mediation, he said. He stressed the need to enhance public awareness and sensitise legal fraternity to penalise any of the party failing to comply with the direction to undergo mediation for a peaceful and less adversarial dispensation of justice.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, highlighted SDPI’s long-standing commitment to public rights advocacy and its critical collaboration with Pakistan’s judiciary and legal fraternity. He stressed the need for a robust nexus between bar and bench and research think tanks to address the escalating challenges posed by climate change.

Natural calamities cannot be stopped but with the right policies and practices, we can mitigate their worst impacts, Dr Suleri noted adding that in an era of rapid information flow and Artificial Intelligence, the judiciary’s role needs a timely redefinition.

Romina Khurshid Alam, Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, emphasised the critical role of climate awareness and education for legal fraternity. She said that climate change knows no borders. It is a universal crisis which is impacting all nations, communities and sectors. In this battle, the role of lawyers and the judiciary is pivotal. She further said educating legal professionals on climate science, environmental laws and sustainable practices is the need of hour if we are to build a future-ready justice system.

Mediation must be recognised as a powerful tool in this regard and not as a secondary option but as a frontline method for resolving complex environmental disputes efficiently and equitably, she maintained. She praised the efforts of organisations like International Bar Association (IBA) and SDPI for driving forward climate education and emphasised that Pakistan must take proactive steps to integrate climate-conscious mediation into its legal processes.

Dr Pulwasha Ayaz Khan pointed out the environmental vulnerabilities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated national climate action plan. Omar Soomro, former Law Minister of Sindh, highlighted the importance of legislative reforms to mainstream mediation, particularly in complex environmental disputes. Syed Bulent Sohail said that amid growing climate awareness, the bar councils must assume leadership roles and the courses offered by global institutions like Oxford University can equip lawyers with essential climate knowledge.

Justice Sufiyan Rana and Judge Ghazan Mahmood from England and Wales judiciary provided comparative insights noting that while mediation is mandatory in the UK courts post-Woolf reforms, Pakistani courts are rapidly adapting with over 15 significant judgments promoting mandatory mediation in the last year alone. He emphasised that mediation not only reduces litigation burdens but also fosters communal harmony by blending indigenous practices with formal legal systems.

Syed Wajid Ali Gillani, President, IHCBA said that we have opened the door for collaboration, and now its tine to act as to how the legal profession can serve as a force for environmental justice. Mushir Alam, former judge, Supreme Court, recalled the pioneering establishment of Pakistan’s first Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Center in Karachi in 2007, highlighting the importance of educating lawyers in mediation to build a resilient legal framework for future climate challenges.