Pride of Birmingham 2022: Lifetime Achievement Nazir Afzal

Nazir Afzal is one of the UK’s most famous legal brains - known for his tireless work on the Rochdale grooming case. He overcame racism and prejudice to become a powerful advocate for vulnerable and marginalised communities. He has fought in favour of women's rights and against forced marriage, female genital mutilation and so-called honour killings. As Chief Crown Prosecutor in the North West of England, he was at the forefront of a series of challenging and landmark cases, including the first prosecutions for honour killings and modern slavery. He continues to advise organisations, including the Welsh government, on gender-based violence and is on the advisory board of Google’s Innovation Fund for counter-extremism. He says: “In 2006, I got a visit from Special Branch who told me my name was on a verified Al Qaeda death list. Then they told me that there was nothing they could do so I went home that evening and hugged my children closer. “But the next day I was back at work doing what I need to do. In 2012, when I dealt with grooming gangs, I was on a far right death list. But if you're getting it from both sides you are probably in the right place, so it wouldn’t stop me pursuing justice. There's always a personal cost but you need to do the right thing.”