- Shabana Mahmood pledges to be a 'champion' of the rule of law.
- Birmingham MP takes oath of allegiance to Holy Quran.
- He acknowledged the challenges facing the UK justice system.
Shabana Mahmood, the British-Pakistani and Kashmiri MP for Birmingham, was sworn in as the UK's new Lord Chancellor at a ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.
According to the Lancashire TelegraphAttorney General Shabana Mahmood has pledged to continue “upholding the international rule of law and defending human rights.”
The 43-year-old Labour MP took to social media to share the news with the world about X, writing: “Today I had the honour of being sworn in as Lord Chancellor and pledged to defend our independent judiciary from undue interference and pressure.
“I will be a defender of the rule of law. 900 years after having played this ancient role, it is more vital than ever.”
Mahmood, from Small Heath, Birmingham, became the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the role, took an oath of allegiance to the Holy Quran and said in her speech that she was “the first Urdu-speaking Lord Chancellor”.
The judge was sworn in in the presence of Chief Justice Sue Carr, Chief Justice Robert Reed and Chancellor of the High Court Julian Flaux.
In his speech, Mahmood said the new Labour government would continue to “uphold the international rule of law and defend human rights” in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, drawn up after World War II.
She also acknowledged the challenges facing the justice system, adding that more needs to be done to provide access to justice for women and girls “who are victims of violence and abuse.”
In his speech to the Lord Chancellor, Carr said: “There will undoubtedly be challenges today and tomorrow and choices will have to be made. That is an inevitable feature of government.
“We will work with you and your Ministers to meet these demands. I look forward to building a stable and long-lasting relationship with you as Lord Chancellor, within, of course, constitutional limits, in the service of justice and the pursuit of justice.”
