Nazir Afzal

Nazir Afzal
OBE
Afzal in 2016
Born (1962-10-01) October 1, 1962 (age 62)
Birmingham, England
Alma materUniversity of Birmingham
University of Law
OccupationSolicitor
Employer(s)University of Manchester
Hopwood Hall College
Crown Prosecution Service
Children4
Websitewww.nazirafzal.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Nazir Afzal OBE (born 1 October 1962)[1][2][3] is a British solicitor and former prosecutor within the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Afzal spent most of his career in the CPS, rising to be Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England in 2011, a role he held until leaving the CPS in 2015.[4][5][6] In April 2016, he was appointed chief executive of the Association of Police and crime commissioners; he resigned immediately after the May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing so that he could comment freely on the attack.[7][8][9] He was appointed Chancellor of the University of Manchester in 2022, succeeding Lemn Sissay on August 1.[10]

In October 2017, he became a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Complaints Committee.[11][12] In 2018, he became the Chair of the Corporation Board at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.[13][14] He is a Muslim, with views in favour of women's rights and against forced marriage, female genital mutilation and so-called honour killings.[15][16]

  1. ^ Norfolk, Andrew (27 May 2024). "Nazir Afzal interview: 'Muslims are offered a cause to die for; I would give them something to live for'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  2. ^ Afzal, Nazir (2020). "Chapter 1". The Prosecutor. Random House. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4735-7148-8.
  3. ^ "Nazir Afzal: how the CPS plans to bring more child abusers to justice". The Guardian. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Our Chief Crown Prosecutor". Government of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  5. ^ Paul Taylor. "A passion for seeing justice done". Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Nazir Afzal OBE appointed new chief executive - The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners". The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Nazir Afzal OBE appointed new chief executive". www.apccs.police.uk.
  8. ^ "Police chief quit to appear on BBC show". BBC News. 31 May 2017.
  9. ^ Abbit, Beth (3 July 2017). "Nazir Afzal stands down as chief of police and crime commissioners". men.
  10. ^ Anon (2022). "Nazir Afzal is The University of Manchester's new Chancellor". manchester.ac.uk. University of Manchester.
  11. ^ "IPSO appoints three new members to its Complaints Committee". www.ipso.co.uk. 4 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Complaints Committee". www.ipso.co.uk.
  13. ^ "College appoint Nazir Afzal OBE as Chairman of the Corporation Board". www.rochdaleonline.co.uk.
  14. ^ "Nazir Afzal is the Chair of Hopwood Hall's Corporation". www.hopwood.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  15. ^ Bennhold, Katrin (28 September 2013). "A Muslim Prosecutor in Britain, Fighting Forced Marriages and Honor Crimes". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  16. ^ Norfolk, Andrew (3 June 2017). "Nazir Afzal interview: 'Muslims are offered a cause to die for; I would give them something to live for'". The Times. Retrieved 3 March 2018.