Shazia Akhtar

Call:2001

Introduction and Contact details

Shazia is a member of the public law and education team and is recognised by Chambers and Partners as being “calm, well organised and hard working”.  Her practice includes the areas of education law, disability and race discrimination and community care law. She has a particular interest in the impact of human rights legislation within these areas and appears before the high court acting for both individuals and public authorities.

Shazia is currently co-editor of the Education Law Monitor. She was appointed to the Disability Rights Commission Panel of Education barristers in 2005.
 
Before coming to the Bar, Shazia taught in mainstream schools in Japan. During her time there, she also undertook voluntary work in special needs schools. She speaks Japanese and Urdu.

Whilst on maternity leave Shazia has undertaken consultancy work for the Department for International Development (DfID) and the British Council, producing written evaluations in respect of the impact of DfID funded programmes within the Nigerian legal system.

Tel:    020 7242 2523 (switchboard)
Fax:   020 7691 1234

Email: shazia.akhtar@hardwicke.co.uk

PUBLIC LAW

Shazia’s practice in this area is focused on local government, community care and education law.
 
Her experience includes involvement in judicial reviews of school boards, the Secretary of State for Education, social services departments, local education authorities, local councils, Admission and Exclusion Appeal Panels and the Local Government Ombudsman.
 
Shazia successfully completed the Legal Services Commission “Approved Practitioners Course” on Immigration and Asylum in December 2003 and has advised and represented clients in respect of asylum and human rights issues.

Shazia also has experience of mediation within the context of education, community care and public law, areas that increasingly lend themselves towards resolution via the mediation process, and is happy to accept instructions within this area.

Central & Local Government

Shazia acts for both claimants (including children and vulnerable adults) and local authorities within this area including judicial review proceedings, claims in negligence and advisory work in respect of the duties of local authorities. She also advises in respect of complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman and has secured successful outcomes for clients via this route. Shazia has a particular interest of the impact of human rights legislation within this area.

Shazia has also acted for appellants before the Social Security Appeals tribunal and has achieved notable success in cases concerning the ‘right to reside’ and associated EC and domestic Regulations.

Bennett v Bude Stratton Town Council [2006]
Case concerning the Access to Public Meetings Act 1908

Education

Shazia has appeared before a number of specialist statutory tribunals (including the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal and exclusion & admission appeal panels), and within the county and high court acting for individuals, schools (including independent schools), universities and public authorities. She has a particular interest in disability and race discrimination within the education context. She is a member of the Disability Rights Commission Panel of Education barristers.

Relevant Cases

R (Salman) v London Borough of Barking and Dagenham [2005] ELR 514
Case concerned a local education authority wrongly giving a commitment to fund a course at private institution

RG v SENDIST and London Borough of Ealing [2005] All ER (D) 78 (Oct)
Case concerning a student with a Special Educational Needs Statement

ACADEMIC

Since October 2006, Shazia has been co-editor of the Education Law Monitor.
 
She has given numerous seminars on education law, most recently on developments in special needs and disability law and has recently appeared on radio and television speaking on education law.

Whilst on maternity leave Shazia has undertaken consultancy work for the Department of International Development (DfID) and the British Council, producing written reports upon ADR and the commercial law sector as well as the impact of Sharia law within the Nigerian legal system.