Mirza Ahmad

Mirza Ahmad has a successful private practice from St Philips Chambers [1] in Birmingham, UK, and is also the Managing Director of a private consultancy practice - MA (Law & Governance) Limited www.lawandgovernance.co.uk. He specialises in Public & Admin Law, Employment Law and Personal Injury matters.

He was the Corporate Director of Governance at Birmingham City Council until 31st July 2011. He provided strategic leadership over 800 staff within his Department of Governance, which included Legal, Democratic, Regulatory, Registrars, Elections and Information Management professionals.

He graduated from Keele University in 1983 and obtained an MBA from Manchester Metropolitan University after being Called to the Bar in 1984's by the Honourable Society of Gray Inn, London. He also has a Masters Degree in Employment Law and Industrial Relations (LLM) from the University of Leicester, in 1998, and an Honorary Doctorate for Law (LLD) from Manchester Metropolitan University, in 2008.

Prior to the Corporate Director position, Ahmad was Chief Legal Officer and headed a team of 80 lawyers, handling roughly 9,000 cases each year.

Legal career

Ahmad entered local government in 1985. He joined Birmingham City Council in June 2000 from Bolton MBC where he was Assistant Director (Legal). At Birmingham city council he served as Monitoring Officer from Oct 2001, dealing with high-level corporate and strategic, legal and management issues. He also had corporate lead responsibility over the City Council's highly successful and innovative Business Transformation Excellence in Information Management Programme. He was also the Council's Corporate Lead Officer for the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Ahmad is a recognised national expert on the implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 for local government. He has presented national seminars on legal and managerial matters including Good Governance (which includes ethical and corporate governance), Human Rights, Freedom of Information, Corporate Manslaughter, Best Value and Business Excellence. See his latest profile in The Times on-line at - http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6896042.ece

Professional affiliations

Ahmad is Chairman of the Bar Association for Local Government and the Public Service and a member of the General Council of the Bar for England and Wales. He was a Co-opted Member of the Birmingham Law Society from 2000 - 2011, and President of the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors (ACSeS)for 2009/2010.

Publications

Ahmad is the General Editor of two prominent legal publications - Butterworth Tolley's "Knights Guide to Best Value and Public Procurement - Law & Practice" and "Local Authority Employment". He is also author of "Implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 for UK Local Government". He also serves on the editorial board for Butterworth's Local Government Direct.

Awards and recognition

Ahmad was named Lawyer of the Month by the Black Lawyers Directory in April 2006. In February 2007 he was recognised in the UK's inaugural Muslim Power 100 and was also awarded their Public Sector Award. In 2008 he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD (Hon)) from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the legal profession and his involvement in the 'Black Letter law' campaign. He was also named Public Sector Lawyer of the Year 2009 by the Society of Asian Lawyers.

His Family

Ahmad has 3 children, the eldest of whom Mirza Faizan Ahmad is currently studying Dentistry (MDDr) at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Ahmad also has 2 daughters; Syra Naveed Ahmad and Sidra Naveed Ahmad.