Who is Nazir Afzal? Ex-CPS prosecutor who brought prosecutions against Rochdale grooming gang
NAZIR Afzal is credited with successfully leading the legal teams that reopened and prosecuted those involved in the Rochdale grooming scandal in 2012.
But why did the Birmingham born solicitor leave the role after 25 years with the CPS? Here’s everything you need to know…
Who is Nazir Afzal? What’s his background?
Nazir Afzal was born in 1962 and is one of seven children, growing up in Birmingham.
Afzal qualified as a solicitor and initially worked in private practice after studying law in Birmingham.
He joined the Crown Prosecution Service in 1991 and went on to lead several high-profile prosecutions, including ex-broadcaster Stuart Hall’s trial.
In 2003 he was appointed as Sector Director for CPS West London after working in frontline management roles.
Afzal also had a national role as CPS Director for Communities.
He took up the post of the head of the Crown Prosecution Service for the north west in 2011 and spent 25 years with the CPS.
In the role he led about 700 lawyers, legal staff, and administrators and was responsible for all criminal prosecutions across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Cumbria.
He reversed a CPS decision taken two years earlier not to prosecute and in 2012 nine men who ran the ring were jailed for a string of offences.
He is credited with work to tackle honour-based violence and forced marriage.
Nazir was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours List in 2005.
The Guardian reports that following Afzal’s role in the Rochdale grooming case, Keir Starmer, the then director of public prosecutions, appointed him to head a new national network of specialist prosecutors for child abuse and sexual exploitation.
Is Nazir Afzal still the Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England?
In 2015 it was reported Mr Afzal was to step down as part of a savings push.
The reported in March 2015 he had resigned after being cleared of alleged impropriety.
He was accused of sending a text message to a defendant but cleared of any wrongdoing.
Speaking at the time a CPS spokesman said: “We are continuing to reduce the number of staff employed across the organisation and Nazir Afzal is leaving the Service as part of this ongoing drive for efficiency.
“This is entirely unrelated to any issue of conduct and we are satisfied that there has been no impropriety on the part of Mr Afzal.”