Ahmad Nizam bin Abbas PBM is a Singaporean family lawyer and Syariah law practitioner.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born to

Abbas Abu Amin Abbas Abu Amin is a former politician from the People's Action Party (PAP) who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC) from 23 December 1980 to 17 August 1988 and Pasir Panjang Group Represe ...

, a

People's Action Party The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...

Member of Parliament (MP), and his wife Aishah Daud. Ahmad has

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...

and experienced some difficulties in school. He earned a

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 ...

degree in law and English from the

University of Keele Keele University is a public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted university status by Royal Charter as ...

in 1991, qualifying as an English barrister in 1992 and a Singapore lawyer in 1994. Over two decades later, he attained a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

in Islamic law and finance from

Singapore Management University Singapore Management University (SMU) is a publicly funded private university in Singapore. Founded in 2000, SMU is the third oldest autonomous university in the country, modelling its education after the Wharton School. The university is trip ...

in 2013.

Career

Ahmad began his career as a criminal defence lawyer, before specialising in family law. As a defense lawyer, he was involved in the case of Ghazali Abdul Manaf, a prisoner who was beaten to death by prison officers. He also represented Tan Eng Hwa, a man who was jailed for six months for

loitering Loitering is the act of standing or waiting around idly without apparent purpose in some public places. While the laws regarding loitering have been challenged and changed over time, loitering of suspect people can be illegal in some jurisdict ...

and "appearing to be waiting for a chance to commit a crime". In 2013, Ahmad represented a pair of Chinese hotel chefs who had received bribes from a seafood company. In 2023, he represented former auxiliary policeman Mohamad Fazli Selamat, who was convicted of the manslaughter of his stepdaughter and sentenced to 15 years and 11 months' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane. He worked at Straits Law Practice before joining Emerald Law as a senior partner, subsequently founding his own firm
Crescent Law Chambers
In 2023, he was appointed deputy chairman of Simba Law Alliance, a coalition of regional law firms in Southeast Asia. Ahmad has been a member of numerous boards and committees, including

Mediacorp Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. is the state media, state-owned media conglomerate of Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the investment arm of the Government of Singapore—it owns and operates television channels, radio, and digital media properties. ...

, the Mendaki Club, the National Youth Forum, the Censorship Review Committee, and the Law Society's Muslim law practice committee. He wrote a number of op-eds on the Today newspaper on his work at the National Youth Forum. In 2006, he was projected to run for political office in Tampines, but did not end up doing so. In 2021, he became a founding member of Defense Fund SG, an initiative that provides pro-bono legal support to victims of sexual harassment. For his work in public service, he was awarded the

Pingat Bakti Masyarakat The ''Pingat Bakti Masyarakat'' (English: Public Service Medal) is a Singaporean orders and decorations, Singaporean national honour. It was instituted in 1973. The medal may be awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service in ...

in 2007. Ahmad is also active in legal publication. He wrote the first Muslim family law textbook in Singapore.

Publications

*
The Islamic Legal System in Singapore
', 21 Pac. Rim L & Pol'y J. 163 (2012) *
Custody issues - differences and similarities between civil and Syariah courts in Singapore
', Singapore Academy of Law Journal, 30(Special issue), 695–726 (2018) *

', Singapore Academy of Law (2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmad Nizam Abbas Sharia lawyers 1967 births Living people People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 20th-century Singaporean lawyers 21st-century Singaporean lawyers Lawyers with disabilities Recipients of the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat