Chairperson SLD | Advocate High Court | Legislative Drafter | Justice Sector Reformer | Academic | Mediator
Brief info
Sharafat Ali Chaudhry is the founder and Chairperson of the School for Law and Development (SLD), an institution dedicated to advancing research, legal education, and policy reform in Pakistan. With over two decades of experience across litigation, legislation, human rights, and development governance, he leads SLD’s vision of transforming law into a driver of social change and sustainable development.
A highly respected Advocate of the High Court, Sharafat has contributed to the drafting and reform of more than 60 national and provincial laws, including groundbreaking legislation on juvenile justice, child protection, women’s rights, fisheries governance, and anti-rape reforms. His legislative and policy work is widely recognized by government institutions, development partners, and justice-sector stakeholders.
Sharafat has served as a legal expert and advisor to several UN agencies, including FAO, UNFPA, UNDP, and UNICEF, where he has led major assignments on criminal justice reform, gender-based violence, fisheries and aquaculture legislation, institutional strengthening, and rights-based governance. He has built strong working relationships with ministries, provincial departments, judicial academies, and parliamentary committees across Pakistan.
As a litigator, he has appeared in over 2,500 cases, prosecuting serious violent crimes and advocating for the protection of vulnerable groups. As a trainer and academic, he has conducted more than 50 trainings for judges, prosecutors, police, lawyers, and government officials on GBV, child protection, juvenile justice, constitutional rights, and human development.
Sharafat is also an internationally accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator and a leading voice on the intersection of law, development, and public policy. His books, research reports, and scholarly work continue to shape national discourse on justice-sector reform. He is the Editor of the Journal of Law and Development (TJLD), SLD’s flagship academic publication.
He holds an MPhil in International Development Studies and MSc in Development Studies achieving Dean’s Scholarship & Gold Medals, (Iqra University), LLB and a Masters in English (Bahauddin Zakariya University) along with certifications in Public Law (Peter Allard Law School, University of British Columbia), Legal Research & Writing (Canadian Center of Professional Legal Education Canada) and Civil & Commercial Mediation (ADR-ODR, UK).
Through SLD, Sharafat Ali Chaudhry champions a forward-looking, rights-based, and evidence-driven approach to legal education, policy development, and institutional reform, preparing the next generation of lawyers, researchers, and policymakers to deliver justice, equity, and sustainable development.