Mr. Justice (Rtd.) Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani was born in village Kandi Karnah District Kupwara (Indian Occupied Kashmir I.O.K.) on 7th June, 1945. After school education, graduated from Jammu and Kashmir University, Srinagar in 1968. Obtained Law Degree in 1970 from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Practiced law in Srinagar up to 1976 and migrated to Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the same year along with his family.
He was enrolled as an Advocate of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court in September, 1977 and as Advocate of the Supreme Court of AJ&K in 1979. Served as Legal Adviser to Custodian and Rehabilitation Departments and as an Adviser to Muslim Commercial Bank from 1979 to 1986. Elected Chairman Zakat Committee in 1979, Member of the Muzaffarabad Municipal Corporation and Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Corporation in 1983. He was appointed as Advocate-General for AJ&K in March 1986 and resigned from office in March, 1990.
He was elevated as permanent Judge of the High Court of AJ&K on 5th May, 1991 and appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of AJ&K on May 03, 2001. He was elevated as permanent Judge of the Supreme Court of AJ&K on 20th August, 2004. He also Acted as Vice-Chancellor, University of AJ&K and Chief Election Commissioner of AJ&K. He was retired as the Acting Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 11th May, 2010.