Ahmad Nizam Abbas
Ahmad Nizam bin Abbas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 (age 56–57) |
| Education | Keele University (BA) Singapore Management University (LLM) |
Ahmad Nizam bin Abbas PBM is a Singaporean family lawyer and Syariah law practitioner.
Early life and education
[edit]Ahmad was born to Abbas Abu Amin, a People's Action Party Member of Parliament (MP), and his wife Aishah Daud.[1][2] Ahmad has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and experienced some difficulties in school.[3] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in law and English from the University of Keele in 1991, qualifying as an English barrister in 1992 and a Singapore lawyer in 1994. Over two decades later, he attained a Master of Laws in Islamic law and finance from Singapore Management University in 2013.[4]
Career
[edit]Ahmad began his career as a criminal defence lawyer, before specialising in family law.[5] As a defense lawyer, he was involved in the case of Ghazali Abdul Manaf, a prisoner who was beaten to death by prison officers.[6] He also represented Tan Eng Hwa, a man who was jailed for six months for loitering and "appearing to be waiting for a chance to commit a crime".[7] In 2013, Ahmad represented a pair of Chinese hotel chefs who had received bribes from a seafood company.[8] In 2023, he represented former auxiliary policeman Mohamad Fazli Selamat, who was convicted of the manslaughter of his stepdaughter and sentenced to 15 years and 11 months' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.[9]
He worked at Straits Law Practice before joining Emerald Law as a senior partner, subsequently founding his own firm, Crescent Law Chambers.[10][11][12] In 2023, he was appointed deputy chairman of Simba Law Alliance, a coalition of regional law firms in Southeast Asia.[13]
Ahmad has been a member of numerous boards and committees, including Mediacorp, the Mendaki Club, the National Youth Forum, the Censorship Review Committee, and the Law Society's Muslim law practice committee.[14][15][16][17] He wrote a number of op-eds on the Today newspaper on his work at the National Youth Forum.[18][19] In 2006, he was projected to run for political office in Tampines, but did not end up doing so.[20] In 2021, he became a founding member of Defense Fund SG, an initiative that provides pro-bono legal support to victims of sexual harassment.[21][22] For his work in public service, he was awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat in 2007.[23]
Ahmad is also active in legal publication. He wrote the first Muslim family law textbook in Singapore.[24][25]
Publications
[edit]- The Islamic Legal System in Singapore, 21 Pac. Rim L & Pol'y J. 163 (2012)
- Custody issues - differences and similarities between civil and Syariah courts in Singapore, Singapore Academy of Law Journal, 30(Special issue), 695–726 (2018)
- Muslim Family Law In Singapore, Singapore Academy of Law (2022)
References
[edit]- ^ "Ex-MP's son looks set to follow in father's footsteps". The Straits Times. 3 April 2006.
- ^ "Portrait of Mr. Abbas Abu Amin, former Chairman of the NTUC Sports Committee - BookSG - National Library Board, Singapore". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. National Library Board. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Yong, Nicholas. "The Strength of ADHD". www.sal.org.sg. Singapore Academy of Law. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Ahmad Nizam Abbas". Crescent Law. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ RAVIKRISHNAN, Ashutosh. "Ahmad Nizam on Leaving a Legacy". www.sal.org.sg. Singapore Academy of Law. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ "Guards get jail, cane for prisoner's death". The Straits Times. 23 March 1996. p. 3.
- ^ Lim, Li Hsien (23 March 1995). "Jail for loitering at HDB void deck". The Straits Times. p. 27.
- ^ Migration (29 January 2013). "Two chefs fined for accepting bribes from a seafood supplier | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Defence shares 'traumatic', 'difficult' backgrounds of couple in fatal abuse case of 11-year-old girl". CNA. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ Lim, Jessica (22 May 2012). "Collection of Syariah law rulings to be published". The Straits Times.
- ^ Hermes (28 July 2021). "Peguam bukan Muslim turut kendali kes syariah, Berita - BeritaHarian.sg". Beritaharian (in Malay). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ Pusaka, Harta (30 October 2022). "Masyarakat harus tingkat kefahaman cara agih harta pusaka, Berita - BeritaHarian.sg". www.beritaharian.sg (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Ahmad Nizam dilantik timbalan pengerusi gabungan firma guaman 5 negara, Berita - BeritaHarian.sg". www.beritaharian.sg (in Malay). 15 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "MEDIACORP APPOINTS FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS". Today. 9 August 2011. p. 38.
- ^ "Malay/Muslim youths to meet PM Goh". Today. 19 October 2001. p. 4.
- ^ Wong, Alicia (22 May 2009). "A mid-term first, to keep pace with media". Today. p. 4.
- ^ "Spotlight - Conversation with Ahmad Nizam, Chairperson of the Muslim Law Practice Committee". The Singapore Law Gazette. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ Nizam, Ahmad (1 April 2011). "When fair is foul, and foul is fair". Today. p. 16.
- ^ Nizam, Ahmad (31 December 2004). "Unfair to judge youth forum as 'elitist'". Today. p. 26.
- ^ "Mah mahu Ahmad Nizam di Tampines". Berita Harian (in Malay). 3 April 2006.
- ^ "Peguam Muslim bergabung bentuk dana, khidmat guaman percuma bagi mangsa gangguan seksual, diskriminasi". BERITA Mediacorp (in Malay). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Peguam, M3 beri nasihat percuma bagi mangsa gangguan seksual, Berita - BeritaHarian.sg". www.beritaharian.sg (in Malay). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "National Day Awards". The Straits Times. 10 August 2007.
- ^ Vijayan, K. C. (3 November 2022). "Landmark book on Muslim family law launched | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. The Straits Times. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Nur, Arina Ahmad Anis (18 October 2022). "Buku pertama undang-undang keluarga Islam di SG diterbitkan". BERITA Mediacorp (in Malay). Berita. Retrieved 6 January 2023.