Human rights lawyer Mashal Aamir is the recipient of the 2024 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for her commitment to raising awareness and advocating for the human rights situation in North Korea, as well as her academic work surrounding the rights of minorities and vulnerable communities, particularly transgender communities across the globe.
The award was presented by Erika Villarreal, Treasurer of the IBA Young Lawyers' Committee, at the IBA Annual Conference 2024 in Mexico, during the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI) breakfast on Thursday 19 September at 0800-0915.
On being the 2024 awardee, Mashal Aamir said: 'I am grateful that this award recognises the people I represent. We might feel far removed from the sufferings in North Korea, we might not be able to relate to what it is like being in a prison in Peshawar, or being a woman in a rural village, but any violation of the rule of law engages our collective responsibility in this profession. Now more so than ever, we need the accountability of the law and for those who are far removed from its powers to be reminded that the law can reach them too. This award is a testament to the capabilities of many, when given the right support. I am thankful for the support here today.'
Ms Aamir currently works with PSCORE, a human rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in South Korea, where she navigates complex legal provisions to ensure the safeguarding of human rights for North Koreans. She has independently represented PSCORE before the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and assisted the organisation in the campaign for internet access to be a human right. Ms Aamir does not have any affiliation with North Korea. However, she is determined that the rule of law be upheld and those in violation of it, including not only North Korea but neighbouring regions, be held to account.
Additionally, Ms Aamir worked on the Universal Periodic Review for North Korea, alongside leading NGOs in South Korea and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR). She also compiled reports for the International Labour Organisation regarding the dangerous conditions of North Korean workers forced labour in Russia.
In a letter of recommendation, Bada Nam, Secretary General of PSCORE, noted: ' I believe Mashal is representative not only of the remarkable capabilities of Pathan women but an inspiration to lawyers around the world. Mashal shows a lifelong commitment to benefiting the legal profession at large, mentoring the younger generation and upholding ethics, as well as insuring global awareness and compliance with fundamental principles of justiceI.'
Ms Aamir spent two years sourcing data from prisons in Peshawar, a conservative region near Afghanistan, interviewing transgender prisoners, women and children. In 2022 she was invited to present these findings at the University of Cambridge, where her prison photography was later displayed in the library for public access due to its impactful message. Ms Aamir clerked at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, advising on issues of the highest constitutional importance, and self-studied to become a barrister, representing women in cases involving domestic abuse, child custody and other stigmatised criminal legal issues with which women in tribal communities struggle. In 2021, she set up a foundation providing economic skills to women in rural Pakistan to become financially independent.
The judging panel for the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award gave the following reasons as to why Ms Aamir was chosen as this year's winner: 'Looking for the young lawyer of the year, we found one for the ages! From Pakistan to Guantanamo, from South Korea to the United Kingdom, even before the United Nations, Mashal is leaving her positive mark everywhere. She has studied and worked on sensitive issues related to women and child prisoners in Pakistan, vulnerable witnesses, women rights [and] human rights in North Korea, the rights of victims of crime and the harmful effects of drones. It seems she has done it all, but the great thing is… she is just starting. Mashal is simply outstanding.'
The IBA Young Lawyers' Committee annually presents an award to a young lawyer who has shown excellence in their career to date, commitment to professional and ethical standards, and dedication to the community at large. The Award was established in recognition of William Reece Smith Jr - a past IBA President who distinguished himself as one of the most respected legal experts over the course of a career spanning more than 50 years. LexisNexis sponsored the Award following Mr Reece Smith's passing in 2013.
