I will fight with the voice of ‘Brummies’ at the heart of government, to bring change to this country,” said Shabana Mahmood in her first X message as she made history by becoming the first female Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State of the United Kingdom. She was sworn in on the Holy Quran by the female chief justice of the United Kingdom. The ceremony was officiated by a female clerk of the Crown, marking an unprecedented moment in the nation’s history. Mahmood’s ascension to the high offices reflects her commitment to advocating for her constituents in Birmingham and her dedication to driving transformative change across the country.

Shabana Mahmood has navigated a challenging and illustrious political career in the UK. She was first elected as the member of parliament for Birmingham-Ladywood in 2010, securing a significant 55.7 percent of the vote with a majority of 10,105 votes. This achievement marked her as one of the UK’s first female Muslim MPs, paving the way for her influential role in British politics.

Throughout her career, Shabana Mahmood, whose family hails from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, has held prominent front-bench positions. Under the leadership of Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman, and Sir Keir Starmer, she has served in critical roles such as shadow minister for prisons, shadow minister for higher education and the shadow finance secretary. Her tenure in these positions, spanning from 2010 to 2024, underscored her commitment to public service and her ability to navigate the complexities of the political landscape.

As shadow minister for prisons, Shabana Mahmood focused on reforming the prison system, advocating for better rehabilitation programmes and addressing systemic issues in the justice system. In her role as shadow minister for higher education, she championed the cause of accessible and affordable education, pushing for policies that would benefit students and educational institutions alike. As the shadow finance secretary, she played a crucial role in shaping the financial strategies of her party, emphasising fiscal responsibility and economic growth. Shabana Mahmood’s journey in politics is a testament to her resilience, dedication and the significant strides she has made in representing her constituents and advocating for broad societal changes. Her contributions have not only broken barriers for women and ethnic minorities in politics but have also left a lasting impact on the national political landscape.

Her contributions have not only broken barriers for women and ethnic minorities in politics but have also left a lasting impact on the UK’s political landscape.

Soon after being sworn in as justice secretary, she started fulfilling the pledges made by her leader Sir Keir Starmer during the election campaign, focusing on the overcrowded prisons of the UK. The prison population of England and Wales stands at 87,800 while the operating capacity of the prisons is 88,818. The Ministry of Justice is building six new prisons as demand grows for cell spaces, partially because of the government’s campaign to hire 20,000 more police officers.

Under her current plan, Shabana Mahmood visited the oldest prison in Bedford, where she said: “To control the prison system and probation services to keep the public safe are my priorities. There are deep challenges facing our justice system; hard work starts now.” Addressing the prison officers and staff, she said: “If our prisons run out of space, the courts will grind to a halt, suspects could not be held in custody and police officers would be unable to make arrests, leaving criminals free to act without consequence. In short, if we fail to act now, we face the prospect of a total breakdown of law and order.” “I understand that some may feel worried, but I can assure them that we are taking every possible precaution concerning those serving sentences for the most dangerous crimes, including sexual and serious violent offences.”

The changes to the release point for offenders on standard determinate sentences will require secondary legislation to be voted on by the parliament and could come into force in September this year. That will apply to those already in prison and past the 40 percent point in their sentence when this comes into force.

Ahead of setting out the next steps to tackle this impending crisis, the Lord Chancellor confirmed that the dysfunctional and unmanageable End of Custody Supervised Licence scheme will come to an end.

Meanwhile, the President of the Law Society of England and Wales, Nick Emmerson, has congratulated Shabana Mahmood on her appointment. He said the appointment was a unique opportunity to bring much-needed change to the justice system and address the longstanding neglect and under-investment that have left it on the verge of collapse.

The writer is a correspondent in London for Geo News, Daily Jang and The News International