Shabana Mahmood, a British-Pakistani MP of Kashmiri origin from Birmingham, has been sworn in as the United Kingdom’s new Lord Chancellor in a ceremony held at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.
According to the Lancashire Telegraph, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has pledged to continue “defending the international rule of law and upholding human rights.”
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The 43-year-old Labour Party member shared the news on social media platform X, writing: “Today I was honoured to be sworn in as Lord Chancellor, promising to defend our independent judiciary from interference and undue pressure.
“I will be a champion of the Rule of Law. 900 years into this ancient role, it is more vital than ever before.”
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Mahmood, hailing from Small Heath, Birmingham, became the first Muslim woman to be appointed to this post. She took her oath of allegiance on the Holy Quran and noted in her speech that she was “the first Lord Chancellor to speak Urdu.”
She took the oath in the presence of Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr, President of the Supreme Court Robert Reed, and Chancellor of the High Court Julian Flaux.
In her speech, Mahmood affirmed that the new Labour government would continue “defending the international rule of law and upholding human rights” in line with the European Convention on Human Rights, established after the Second World War. She also acknowledged the challenges faced by the justice system, emphasizing the need to provide better access to justice for women and girls who are victims of violence and abuse.
Addressing Mahmood, Carr said: “There will no doubt be challenges and choices to be made today and tomorrow. That is an inevitable feature of governing.
“We will work with you and your ministers as you face these demands. I very much look forward to forging a stable, long-term partnership with you as Lord Chancellor within, of course, constitutional bounds, in the service of justice and the achievement of justice.”