CJP Afridi denies NOC for Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s Yale visit

ISLAMABAD: In a repeat decision, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has once again denied senior puisne judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the No Objection Certificate (NOC) required for international travel.

Justice Shah, who has been invited for the past five years to participate in the Global Constitutionalism 2025 event at Yale Law School, USA, was hoping to attend this year’s conference from September 10 to 13, as well. This prestigious event brings together senior judges from around the world for academic dialogue with leading scholars from Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. This year, Justice Shah was set to present a paper on “Artificial Intelligence and Judging.”

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However, as per a news report by Express Tribune, the CJP has refused to grant the necessary NOC to Justice Mansoor. Reports show that the Yale Law School had also formally requested CJP Afridi’s approval for Justice Shah’s participation. Additionally, Justice Shah personally sought the NOC on August 6.

However, the Supreme Court’s Registrar responded that the court could not facilitate his travel due to the commencement of the judicial year on September 8. The Registrar’s letter also said that the opening of the judicial year involves significant institutional activities, including a full court session for strategic planning, making Justice Shah’s absence unfeasible.

The letter explained that this year, with the introduction of the Supreme Court’s updated rules, the participation of all judges in the opening session was crucial for setting institutional priorities. Despite the invitation from Yale and the academic value of the event, the Registrar noted that the court’s commitments at home took precedence.

In a follow-up letter to CJP Afridi on August 15, Justice Shah argued that his absence would not disrupt the court’s functioning, given that he is neither part of the Constitutional Bench nor involved in any administrative committee. He pointed out that his travel would take place during the summer break, and that several other judges had been granted leave for less significant events.

Justice Shah also raised concerns about the perception that his request for NOC was being unfairly delayed or denied, suggesting that such actions could harm the court’s credibility. He stressed that his request was made with the expectation of being treated with the respect due to his position as the senior puisne judge.

In his letter, Justice Shah warned that if his request was ignored, he would be forced to share the details of the correspondence with the inviting institutions to explain why he was unable to attend. He added that such refusals could be seen as attempts to curtail judicial independence, which could undermine the court’s authority.

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Despite these concerns, CJP Afridi refused to grant the NOC, maintaining that the court’s institutional needs took precedence. This marks the second time this year that Justice Shah has been denied permission for international travel. Earlier, in February, Justice Shah’s request for leave to attend arbitration events in Saudi Arabia was also denied, forcing him to cancel his trip.

In addition to the Yale event, Justice Shah had been invited to speak at the New York City Bar Association on September 8 and to participate in an academic dialogue at Harvard University on September 10. However, CJP Afridi’s refusal prevented his participation in these events as well.