JAN Trust is delighted to announce that Nazir Afzal OBE has become our Patron.

Nazir Afzal has had an extensive and distinguished career in the Crown Prosecution Service. He was Britain’s most senior lawyer within the Crown Prosecution Service and made history as the first Muslim to be appointed to such a position.

Throughout his extensive career, Afzal has worked on numerous high profile cases, such as that of the Rochdale child abuse ring and has been CPS lead on tackling Violence Against Women, having been moved by traumatic accounts of women’s suffering within his own Pakistani community. His ethos very much aligns with that of JAN Trust, he has described that through his work he wanted to give “a voice to the voiceless” and champion the vulnerable. He pioneered work to tackle honour-based violence and forced marriage, both key concerns of JAN Trust, initially bringing these issues to the top of the public agenda through a CPS conference in 2004.

Afzal was made OBE for his services in 2005 and has been the recipient of many awards including lifetime achievement award British Pakistani Foundation in 2012 and CPS public servant of the year 2007.

Speaking about his appointment as Patron, Afzal said, “I have always been impressed by the work that Sajda and the JAN Trust carry out protecting the most vulnerable in London. They are rightly regarded as one of the finest NGOs working in the fields of violence against women and preventing extremism. It is a distinct honour to be asked to be a Patron and I am delighted to play my part in its continuing success.”

Mr Afzal is currently Pro Chancellor Brunel University, and works as an independent advisor on criminal justice and earlier this year was given the title of honourary doctorate of law from the University of Manchester.

JAN Trust is proud to have someone that we have long admired as an Ambassador and we are looking forward in working together to continue our vital work to empower BAMER women across the country.