lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
who served as the eighth
Attorney General of Brunei
The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC; ) is the public prosecutor of Brunei, and legal adviser to the Government of Brunei. The functions of the attorney general are carried out with the assistance of the deputy attorney-general and the solicitor- ...
from 2020 to 2024. He practices in the fields of
criminal prosecution
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
,
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
,
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
and
commercial law
Commercial law (or business law), which is also known by other names such as mercantile law or trade law depending on jurisdiction; is the body of law that applies to the rights, relations, and conduct of Legal person, persons and organizations ...
,
banking
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
s, and
intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
. He is also the
chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the
International School Brunei
International School Brunei (ISB) is an international school in Brunei. It is split over two sites, one in the Sungai Akar area of Bandar Seri Begawan, and a second in Seria in the Belait district. The current executive principal is Domini ...
(ISB)
Board of Directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
, the
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
of AEGIS Secure Solutions, and member of the
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
The Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD or University of Brunei Darussalam) is a public national university, national research university situated in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, was founded in 1985 and is the oldest institution i ...
(UBD) council. In November 2022, he was appointed Vice President of the Brunei Darussalam Swimming Association (BDSA).
Education
Ahmad graduated from the
United World College of South East Asia
The United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) is an independent international school in Singapore. It is a member of the United World College (UWC) movement, which includes 18 schools worldwide. UWCSEA provides a K–12 education consi ...
(UWCSEA) and obtained his
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
(
Hons
Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, o ...
) in
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
from the
University of Kent
The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
from 1982 to June 1985. He began work as a counsel and deputy public prosecutor at the Attorney General's Chamber from Sep 1985 to November 1990. He graduated from
Universiti Malaya
The Universiti Malaya (lit 'University of Malaya'; abbreviated UM) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in newly independent ...
in
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
in 1986 with a Certificate of Legal Practice, and in 1987 he was admitted as an
Advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...
and
Solicitor
A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...
of the
Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam
The Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam is, in theory, the highest court of Brunei Darussalam, though its decisions are subject to appeal in civil cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supr ...
. In 1994, he was chosen to serve as a
Commissioner of Oaths
A notary public ( notary or public notary; notaries public) of the common law is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with general financial transactions, estates, deeds, powers- ...
.
Career
Ahmad held the positions of
Counsel
A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of ''lawyer''.
The word ''counsel'' can also mean advice given ...
and Deputy
Public Prosecutor
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...
, Deputy Registrar of
Trade Marks
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a product or service from a particular source and distinguishes it from ot ...
, Deputy
Registrar of Companies
A company register is a register of business organizations such as companies in the jurisdiction they operate under. Registration is normally mandated by the government of that jurisdiction.
A company register serves a purpose of protection, acco ...
, and Deputy Registrar of Business Names in the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) between 1985 and 1990. He was attached to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
in addition to his responsibilities in the AGC from 1986 until October 1990. In November 1990, after leaving the government, he joined Douglas Lind Ahmad Isa & Co. as a partner. Douglas Lind Ahmad Isa & Co. and Ibrahim Chee & Co. amalgamated to establish Ahmad Isa Lee & Lind in January 1992. In November 1997, Ahmad Isa Lee & Lind became Ahmad Isa & Partners.
According to a broadcast on
Radio Televisyen Brunei
Radio Television Brunei (, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: راديو تيليۏيشين بروني, officially abbreviated as RTB) is the national public broadcasting, public broadcaster of Brunei, headquartered at the Secretariat Building, Brunei, Secr ...
(RTB) on 5 October 2020 night, Ahmad has been named the next attorney general of Brunei. He succeeds Dato Hairol Arni, who was replaced as interim attorney general in July by Zuraini Sharbawi. On 27 July, the Sultan's ministry unexpectedly terminated the latter's services without giving a reason. On 6 October 2020,
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah (born 15 July 1946) is the Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and prime minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the worl ...
officially appointed him.
Along with representatives from 30 Commonwealth member nations, Attorney General Ahmad attended the High-Level Meeting of the Commonwealth Law Ministers on 18 February 2021. The primary legal issues raised by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
, including ensuring that everyone has access to
justice
In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
, upholding the
rule of law
The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
in the fight against the
pandemic
A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...
, and the legal obstacles to equitable access to life-saving medications, including
vaccine
A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifi ...
s and equipment, were on the agenda.
As part of the S R Nathan Fellowship, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan invited Dato Ahmad Isa to visit
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
from 15 to 17 February 2023.
Lawrence Wong
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai. In this Chinese name, the Chinese surname, family name is Huang (surname), Wong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Lawrence Wong and the Chinese-style name is Wong Shyun Tsai. (born 18 December 197 ...
,
Teo Chee Hean
Teo Chee Hean ( zh, s=张志贤, poj=Tioⁿ Chì-hiân, p=Zhāng Zhìxián, first=poj; born 27 December 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and two-star rear-admiral who served as Senior Minister of Singapore and Coordinating Minister for ...
, Vivian Balakrishnan, and
Edwin Tong
Edwin Charles Tong Chun Fai. In this Chinese name, the family name is Tong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Edwin Charles Tong and the Chinese-style name is Tong Chun Fai. (born 12 August 1969) is a Singaporean politician ...
all met with Dato Ahmad. Additionally, he has meetings with
Sundaresh Menon
Sundaresh Menon (born 26 February 1962) is a Singaporean lawyer and judge who has served as the fourth Chief Justice of Singapore since 2012 after being appointed by president Tony Tan. He is the first Singapore-born Chief Justice and the secon ...
and
Lucien Wong
Lucien Wong Yuen Kuai (born October 1953) is a Singaporean lawyer who has been serving as the ninth attorney-general of Singapore since 2017.
A former corporate lawyer, Wong was the chairman and a senior partner of Allen & Gledhill, as well ...
planned. He went to briefings on the legal system, took tours of the
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, the Singapore Intellectual Property Office, the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
's
Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
, and the
Centre for International Law The Centre for International Law (CIL) was established in 2009 at the National University of Singapore (NUS), in response to the growing need for international law expertise and capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region.Nor Hashimah, and would come into effect on the following day.
Personal life
Ahmad is the son of
Isa Ibrahim
Isa bin Ibrahim (born 9 February 1935) is a Bruneian aristocrat, civil servant and lawyer. He served as Brunei's second deputy (chief minister) from 1970 to 1972, minister of home affairs from 1986 to 2005, and was appointed speaker of the ...
and Rosnah Abdullah, making him the grandson of
Ibrahim Mohammad Jahfar
Ibrahim bin Mohammad Jahfar (27 September 1902 – 19 February 1971) was an aristocrat, civil servant and magistrate. He was the first Malay to hold Brunei's highest executive position, serving as State Secretary of Brunei, state secretary fro ...
. He is married to Faridah Yussof, and together they have a daughter, Nur 'Azizah, who holds the distinction of being the first female president of the Law Society of Brunei.
Honours
Ahmad has earned the following honours;
*
Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei
The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali ...
First Class (SPMB) – ''Dato Seri Paduka'' (15 July 2022)