Summary
Professor Niaz A Shah joined the Law School as a lecturer in 2006 and after successive promotions, became Professor in Law in 2018. In 2006, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge. In 2004, he did internship in the Division for the Advancement of Women, United Nations, New York. In 2001, he worked as a Protection Assistant for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Islamabad. He attended a short course in International Human Rights Law at the University of Nottingham in late 2001 and in 2005 obtained PhD from Queen's University Belfast, UK. Professor Shah is an Advocate High Court in Pakistan and a Life Member of the Islamabad Bar Association. Professor Shah was Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 2014 and is practicing law from Nexus Chambers, London. Professor Shah has worked for / advised governments (e.g. Pakistan and the UK) and international organisations such as the United Nations (UN New York; UNDP; UNODC; UN Women; UNICEF; UNHCR); European Union; NATO; The Commonwealth and the United States Institute of Peace. He has appeared as a Counsel and expert witness in large number of cases in the UK courts. Since 2014, Professor Shah is training Pakistani judges on human rights and the rule of law at various judicial academies in Pakistan and Hull.
Niaz Shah is a recognised expert on Pakistan and Afghanistan and regularly appears as expert witness in asylum and human rights cases before courts in the UK. Leading cases include:
1. The Secretary of State for the Home Department v Hashim Tariq
[2021] EWCA Civ 378
2. KA and Others (domestic violence – risk on return) Pakistan CG
[2010] UKUT 216 (IAC)
3. AJ (Risk to Homosexuals) Afghanistan UKAIT [2009] 1
Barrister-at-Law
Professor Shah practices law from Nexus The Chambers of Michael Mansfield KC, London: nexuschambers.com.
Human Rights and the Rule of Law Training Programme for Pakistani Judges: Professor Shah has been training Pakistani judges on human rights and the rule of law since 2014 and has trained over 200 judges.