Nasim Hasan Shah (Urdu: نسیم حسن شاہ; 15 April 1929 – 3 February 2015) was a Pakistani jurist who served as the chief justice of Pakistan. He is best known for his role in the verdict against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the first democratically elected prime minister of Pakistan, which resulted in the death penalty.
His other notable verdict was restoration of the parliament of Pakistan dissolved by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. The Supreme Court held that the dissolution order was based on an incorrect appreciation of the role assigned to the president and of the powers vested in him by the constitution. It observed that the prime minister was not answerable to the president, and that the president was obliged to act on the prime minister's advice, except where the constitution allowed discretionary powers to the president.
Shah served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from 17 April 1993 to 14 April 1994. He was appointed a High Court judge at the age of 39, and retired from Supreme Court at 65, the longest tenure by any judge in the history of the Indian subcontinent. Retired justice Asif Saeed Khosa is his son-in-law.
Nasim Hasan Shah was born in Lahore to Syed Mohsin Shah, an eminent advocate and political activist.
Early schooling Cathedral School Lahore: 1933 to 1941 Central Model School, Lahore passing Matriculation in FIRST Division
Joined Government College, Lahore in 1943 graduating from it in 1947. Awarded: Academic Roll of Honor
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from University of the Punjab, 1949 (FIRST Class)
Master in Arts (M.A.) in Political Science, Government College, 1951 (FIRST Class First)
Doctorate in Jurisprudence "Docteur-en-droit" with mention "Tres Bien" from University of Paris (Sorbonne)
Doctorate in Political Science:“Institute Des Hautes Etudes Internationales” (FIRST Position) from University of Paris, 1954
Diploma of The Hague Academy of International Law, 1954
Harvard University International Law Seminar, 1957
Named "Man of the Decade" for services to Democracy and Rule of Law by the American Pakistan Alliance, Washington D.C. 26 September 1993
Nasim Hassan Shah helped Advocate General of Pakistan Fayyaz Ali argue in the case Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan case, where he was on the side of the government that demanded that the constituent assembly dismissed by Malik Ghulam Muhammad stay dismissed. The judgement in favour of the dismissal laid the pathway for Pakistan's slide towards dictatorship under General Ayub Khan.
Named as one of Pakistan's nominees on the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in 1959 and continued until 1977
Worked as Editor Supreme Court Reports from 1960 to 1963
Elected as Member of the West Pakistan Bar Council in 1964 and of the Pakistan Bar Council in 1966
Elevated as Judge of the High Court of West Pakistan on 11 March 1968