Former Hon'ble Chief Justice

Mr. Justice (Rtd.) Muhammad Riaz Akhtar Chaudhry was born in old Mirpur, District Mirpur Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 5th May, 1951 in old Mirpur city. He joined Government School Mirpur and then Government High School Mirpur and passed Matriculation Examination from the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore in 1966. He joined Government Degree College, Mirpur and passed B.A Examination in 1971 from Punjab University and then joined Law College Lahore and passed L.L.B examination in the year 1973. He was the best debater of English and Urdu in the college and obtained gold medals both in English and Urdu debates. He participated in All Pakistan Debating Competition held at Khyber Law College, Peshawar and obtained second prize. He has participated in all Pakistan Debating competition at Islamia College, Gujranwala and obtained second prize in English debate.
Mr. Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry was President of the College Debating Society of English and Urdu. He started his career from Lahore as Advocate in 1973 and practiced there up to 1975 and on the desire of his (Late) father he shifted to Mirpur and was enrolled as an Advocate in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He formed Young Lawyers Association at Mirpur and was elected its first President. He was enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court of Azad Jammu & Kashmir in 1978 and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1980.
Mr. Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry was elected as a President of District Bar Association, Mirpur, in 1989. He was elevated to the Bench as an Additional Judge of the High Court in 1991 and was appointed as Judge of the Shariat Court in 1994 as permanent Judge of High Court in 1997. Mr. Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry was appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court and Shariat Court in 2004. While he was Chief Justice of High Court, He introduced various reforms in the Judicial system of AJ&K. He was elevated as the Judge of Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of Azad Jammu & Kashmir in 2006. After taking oath as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, He has setup two monitoring cells in the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, one at the principal seat, Muzaffarabad, and the other at Mirpur Circuit. He was appointed as Judge Supreme Court on 28th September 2006 and as the Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 27th October 2006. He has also performed his functions as the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 11th July, 2005 to 29th August 2008. He served in the superior judiciary for more than 19 years and was retired as the Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 6th May 2010.