Supreme Courts of Pakistan and Korea Forge New Pathways of Judicial Cooperation
Islamabad – 2 November, 2026 (MT Team) : In a significant step towards strengthening international judicial partnerships, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea today signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Bilateral Judicial Cooperation, opening new avenues for institutional collaboration, judicial knowledge exchange and technological innovation.
The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan, who is on official visit to Korea, was warmly received by Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea, Justice JO Hee-de, at the Korean Supreme Court in Seoul. The two Chief Justices held substantive discussions on strengthening institutional relations, fostering mutual learning and exploring opportunities for closer cooperation between the two judiciaries. The meeting culminated in the signing of the MoU by the two Chief Justices, marking an important milestone in judicial relations between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea.
The MoU provides a comprehensive framework for sustained institutional engagement, covering judicial exchanges, professional capacity building, judicial education, collaborative research and the sharing of institutional experiences and best practices. It places particular emphasis on judicial reform and modernisation, electronic court systems, digital justice, artificial intelligence and its responsible use in judicial administration, smart courts, judicial analytics and cybersecurity.
The framework also envisages reciprocal judicial delegations, professional attachments, study visits, expert exchanges, joint conferences and seminars, as well as periodic high-level judicial dialogue. It provides an institutional mechanism for coordinating and advancing mutually agreed initiatives, thereby translating the commitment to cooperation into practical and sustained engagement.
During the visit, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan also had a meeting with Justice NOH Gyeongpil, Minister of the National Court Administration of the Republic of Korea. The interaction focused on matters of judicial administration, institutional governance and the role of technological innovation in improving court management and strengthening the effectiveness of justice delivery.
As part of his engagement with Korea’s judicial technology infrastructure, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan visited the Supreme Court of Korea IT Center.
The visit provided an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into Korea’s technological advancements in judicial administration, digital court systems and technology-enabled justice services. It also offered a valuable platform for exploring areas of potential knowledge exchange and institutional learning in the context of Pakistan’s ongoing judicial reform and digital transformation initiatives.
Syed Moazzam Shah, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Korea, accompanied the Hon’ble Chief Justice throughout the visit and participated in all meetings and engagements, providing valuable diplomatic support in advancing institutional relations between the two countries.
The signing of the MoU represents an important dimension of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s continuing efforts to strengthen international judicial cooperation and draw upon global experiences in advancing institutional reforms. By establishing structured channels of engagement with one of the world’s technologically advanced judiciaries, the initiative creates opportunities for mutual learning, professional development and the adoption of innovative approaches to judicial administration.
