Akhlaq Choudhury

Sir Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury (Bengali: আখালেক উর-রহমান চৌধুরী; born 23 April 1967) is a British High Court judge of Bangladeshi origin. In 2017, he was made Knight Bachelor on appointment, becoming the first British-Bangladeshi and Muslim to be appointed to the High Court of Justice.

The Honourable

Sir Akhlaq Choudhury
Personal details
Born (1967-04-23) 23 April 1967
Winchester, Hampshire, England
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)Safina Choudhury
Children3
ParentsAzizur Rahman Choudhury (father)
Sultana Choudhury (mother)
ResidenceNorthwood, Hillingdon, London, England
EducationBSc Physics, Law
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
School of Oriental and African Studies
OccupationBarrister, recorder, judge

Early life

Choudhury was born in Winchester,[1] Hampshire, England to a Bengali Muslim family. When he was four years old, his family moved to Scotland[2] where he grew up in Bishopbriggs on the outskirts of Glasgow.[3]

Choudhury's Sylheti parents had migrated to the United Kingdom before the Bangladesh Liberation War from Zakiganj, Sylhet District, in erstwhile East Pakistan.[4] In the UK, Choudhury's father ran a restaurant business.[5][6]

Choudhury attended Balmuildy Primary and then Bishopbriggs High School for five years.[3] In 1988, he graduated from University of Glasgow with a BSc degree in physics. In 1991, he graduated from School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London with a first-class honours LLB.[2][7]

Career

In 1992, Choudhury moved to London,[2] he was called to the Bar (Inner Temple)[6] and started practising as a barrister at 11 King's Bench Walk Chambers (now known as 11 KBW).[5][7][8]

Between 1999 and 2005, Choudhury was a member of the Attorney General's panel of approved counsel in which capacity he acted for and advised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, HM Revenue and Customs and other Government departments.[5] Between 2009 and 2011, he was a committee member of the Employment Law Bar Association.[7] He was one of the standing counsel for the Information Commissioner's Office.[5]

In 2009, Choudhury was appointed as a recorder[4][6][9] on the South East Circuit.[7] In 2015, he was appointed Queen's Counsel.[6] In 2016, he was appointed as a deputy High Court Judge.[4][6][9]

In August 2017, Choudhury was one of the five new appointees[6] as judges of the High Court of Justice, effective from 2 October.[9] He was the first British person of Bangladeshi origin and Muslim faith to have been appointed as a Justice of the High Court of England and Wales[4][6] and was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division[9] by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.[4] Choudhury is among two Bangladesh-origin Queen's Counsel.[6]

Choudhury was a member of the Attorney General's A-panel of counsel and advised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, HM Revenue and Customs and various other government departments. He was retained as counsel for the Information Commissioner and appeared in cases in the area of freedom of information and data protection law.[6]

Awards and recognition

In October 2017, Choudhury was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2017 Special Honours for members of the judiciary.[10]

Personal life

Choudhury lives in Northwood, London, with his wife, Safina, and their three children.[5][6]

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See also

References
  1. Rafid, Raihan Rahman (29 August 2017). "Akhlaq ur-Rahman Choudhury: The First Bangladesh-origin British Justice". The Daily Star. Bangladesh. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  2. Deen, Sanjana (June–July 2004). "Kith & Kin - Generations apart". Emel. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  3. "Former Bishopbriggs High pupil becomes High Court judge". Kirkintilloch: Kirkintilloch Herald. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  4. "Meet UK's first British-Bangladeshi Justice". Dhaka Tribune. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  5. Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (October 2009). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 38. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  6. Ullah, Ansar Ahmed (20 August 2017). "First HC judge of Bangladesh origin in UK". The Daily Star. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  7. "Akhlaq Choudhury". Black Letter Law Publication. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  8. "Akhlaq Choudhury". 11kbw. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  9. Pasha, Syed Nahas (19 August 2017). "Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury QC first Bangladesh-origin judge in UK High Court". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  10. "Queen approves new Knighthoods and Damehoods". gov.uk. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
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