Region Area

Barristers

Misbah Zahid

Misbah Zahid

  • Social

Work Department

About Introduction Civil Crime Family Immigration & Nationality Testimonials Qualifications Languages Direct Access

Position

AREAS OF EXPERTISE Bribery and Corruption Confiscation Crime Defence Drugs Family Financial Crime & Fraud Murder & Manslaughter Prosecution Sexual Offences Violent Crime

Introduction

Misbah has built a strong, multidisciplinary practice and regularly appears in Crown, Magistrates and Youth Courts. She has a recognised profile of success in immigration and family cases. She is known for her attention to detail,  cross-examination skills and her ability to advise effectively in the cases she undertakes.  

Misbah benefits from wide experience prior to coming to the Bar, which includes working in busy solicitors' practices where she had a key role in the preparation of cases, including many noted for their complexity and seriousness (including terroist offences and complex frauds). She had particular responsibility for setting up a unit specialising in contractual disputes, consumer credit and debt collection.  

Misbah is noted for her background in community work. She helped to form and then served as a director of the Woking Asian Business Forum, which has an established track record of providing a wide range of accessible legal advice and networking opportunities for businesses in the Woking area. She helped to form and then worked in a GP Practice's Patients Rights Group to promote patients' rights and concerns with local councilors and MPs.

Career

Year of call 2013Civil

Misbah has been responsible for setting up an in-house specialist unit dealing with civil work and in particular consumer credit and debt collection. She has attended numerous cases in the County Court as the instructed advocate handling small claims and part 18 summary judgments. She is familiar with possession actions and the full range of trials bringing cost-effective representation to a variety of clients.

Misbah has been instructed as disclosure counsel in civil litigation relating to European Union funding of EU farmers; in this capacity, she reviewed all communications and contracts on the issue of funding. This involved reviewing all previous European Union decisions relating to funding criteria and European Court of Justice's previous findings on decisions and appeals.

Crime

Misbah  receives regular praise for her work across a spectrum of criminal work, including Crown Court Trials and Youth and Magistrates Courts. She shows a particular sensitivity with vulnerable clients always ensuring that they understand the charges they face and that they receive the right advice on plea and on possible outcomes. In cases where there is a guilty plea or a finding she excels in addressing the court in mitigation and has a good track record of achieving non-custodial sentences where possible.  

Family

Misbah regularly appears in the family courts travelling out from London, when required.  She has established herself as a popular choice in cases where her experience of criminal advocacy in areas such as domestic violence, serves a a solid base for disputed occupation and child arrangement applications are in issue. She has drafted and then successfully defended a divorce petition and is familiar with the full impact of  relationship breakdown on the life of the family. She appears in care cases acting on behalf of parents and extended family.  

Immigration & Nationality

Misbah is a talented immigration lawyer with a range of experience going back to her early exposure to these issues working in a solicitors' office. She has worked as part of a team dealing with terroism where it overlaps with immigraton issues. 

Misbah is experienced in all aspects of asylum and immigration work in the First Tier and Upper Tribunals. She drafts all the relevant documentation for applications and appeals and has a good knowledge of judical review applications, which are becoming a speciality.

Some of Misbah's recent immigration cases include:

Taj v SSHD

Successfully challenged removal directions of Tier 4 student who had not received his curtailment letter.

Shbaen v SSHD

Successfully appealed after hearing EEA retained rights application.

Shah v SSHD

Successfully challenged a decision against allegations of sham marriage.

Direct Access

Misbah is accredited to accept work under Direct access, also known as Public access, in suitable cases. In order to instruct Misbah on a Direct access basis, contact the clerks on +44 (0) 20 7242 6476 or at [email protected].  

Languages

Misbah conducts her cases in English but assists her clients with her knowledge of:

Urdu Punjabi Potwari Hindi 

Education

LLB, BA (Hons)

Member of Lincoln's Inn