Called: 2012
Qualified to accept Public Access instructions
Introduction
Omar has developed a practice across a spectrum of chambers’ practice areas, with a particular focus in domestic and international crime, international human rights, and regulatory law.
Omar has a busy domestic criminal practice representing clients accused of a wide range of criminal offences and appears regularly in the Youth, Magistrates’ and Crown Court.
As part of his international practice, Omar has been instructed in proceedings before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Omar is developing a regulatory law practice and has appeared on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Social Work England (SWE) and the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) in disciplinary proceedings.
International
Omar has a busy international practice and has been instructed in the following matters:
-
Instructed as a Legal Associate on the Haradinaj defence team in the case of The Prosecutor v. Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC). In January 2022, Omar was admitted to the List of Specialist Counsel before the KSC as Co-Counsel.
-
Instructed as Legal Adviser (with a focus on defence investigations) on the Abd-al-Rahman defence team in the case of The Prosecutor v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman (“Ali Kushayb”) before the International Criminal Court. Mr Abd-al-Rahman is alleged to be a commander of the Arab militia in Darfur, Sudan commonly known as the Janjaweed. He is charged with 31 counts of murder, rape, forcible transfer, persecution and torture as crimes against humanity and war crimes, arising out of the conflict in West Darfur between August 2003 and April 2004.
-
Part of the team at G37 Chambers that assisted the Dutch government in holding Syria accountable for breaching its international obligations, particularly under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). This involved the collection of evidence and ensuring the necessary input from Syrian victims.
-
Assisted with an international child abduction case before the Family Division of the High Court.
With Toby Cadman, and the South Asia Justice Campaign, Omar co-authored two reports exploring human rights concerns in India. The first, "Preventive Detention under the Indian National Security Act (1980) and its Compatibility with International Human Rights Law", is the first detailed analysis of the NSA and suggests that the relevant provisions in the NSA and the Indian Constitution violate international human rights. The second, "Perception of Judicial Independence and Impartiality at the Indian Supreme Court", is an analysis of emblematic cases and conduct of judges showing that several factors contribute to the appearance of bias and selective justice, undermining the protection of minorities.
Omar’s experience in international human rights includes drafting numerous complaints to United Nations Special Procedures, including the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and various Special Rapporteurs.
In May 2022, Omar delivered training on "Accountability Mechanisms for Crimes Committed in Syria" to a group of Syrian lawyers from Lawyers & Doctors for Human Rights (LDHR) on behalf of G37 Chambers.
Crime
Omar regularly appears in the youth, magistrates’ and Crown Court. He regularly advises individuals on appeal against conviction and sentence.
Recent Cases include:
-
R v WDS – Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) [2024] where appeal on sentence allowed. Direction made for 25% credit to be awarded based on when the appellant’s guilty plea was entered (at the adjourned PTPH). Matter corrected on appeal, sentences quashed for two counts (Conspiracy to Produce and Supply a Controlled Drug of Class B). The appellant was entitled to a reduction to his 6-year sentence (72 months) – as such his sentence was reduced to 4 years 6 months (54 months), to run concurrently.
-
R v MD – Woolwich Crown Court [2024] – currently instructed to represent defendant indicted on two counts of assault of an emergency worker.
-
R v. CB – Chelmsford Crown Court [2024] – currently instructed to represent defendant indicted as part of a four-handed affray.
-
R v. PC & TK – Snaresbrook Crown Court [2024] – currently instructed to represent defendant indicted for conspiracy to cultivate Class B drug (Cannabis).
-
R v. JC – Inner London Crown Court [2024] – instructed to represent defendant indicted for racially aggravated intentional harassment.
-
R v. AS – Maidstone Crown Court [2024] – instructed to represent defendant indicted on two counts of theft and fraud.
-
R v. KAM – Guilford Crown Court [2024] – currently instructed to represent defendant indicted for possessing documents with intent to deceive.
-
R v. ANS – St Albans Crown Court [2024] – currently instructed to represent defendant with learning difficulties, indicted on two counts of sexual assault.
-
R v. MG – Guilford Crown Court [2024] – instructed to represent defendant appealing conviction for harassment.
-
R v ARM – Croydon Crown Court [2023] – three convictions (Failure to Provide Specimen, Driving Without Due Care and Failure to Stop) quashed following appeal, preserving the defendant’s good character.
Regulatory Law
Omar has a busy regulatory law practice, acting on behalf of regulators in professional discipline matters.
Omar is an experienced case presenter for the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council). Omar acts for the NMC regularly in fitness to practice proceedings and registration appeals. Omar is skilled when dealing with highly sensitive subject matter and can handle complex substantive hearings with ease. Having a multidisciplinary practice including criminal work, Omar can effectively cross examine witnesses, having performed forensic case analysis.
Recent cases include:
-
NMC v. CME [2024] – acting for the NMC in substantive hearing. Obtained a result of 12 charges found proved out of a possible 14. Given the seriousness of this matter, a strike off was sought and obtained.
-
NMC v. JKM [2024] – acting for the NMC in complex multi-week substantive hearing. Obtained a result of 8 charges found proved out of a possible 9. A Suspension Order was sought and obtained.
Previous Experience
Prior to commencing his career at the Bar, Omar was a Caseworker in the Middle East and North Africa team at NGO Reprieve where he worked on cases and projects involving people facing the death penalty or execution in Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Casework included conducting interviews and family visits, legal research, drafting legal documents and UN submissions, presenting at UN bodies, liaising with local counsel, Government outreach and MP engagement and coordinating input from experts, pro bono lawyers and other supportive organisations and individuals.
Omar was a caseworker at Legal Centre Lesbos, defending the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Greece. Here he managed an extremely busy caseload, drafted family reunification and UNHCR accommodation transfer requests, conducted client meetings (in English and Arabic) involving asylum interview preparation, in addition to other legal research and advocacy tasks on asylum and family reunification cases under Dublin III Regulation.
Prior to this Omar freelanced as a Barrister’s Assistant to various members with an immigration practice at Garden Court Chambers. In addition to this Omar worked as a Legal Assistant to leading fraud solicitor David Harbron at both Hedleys and Chivers Solicitors and as an immigration paralegal at Lambeth Law Centre.
Omar has worked on several international teams, including internships on the Nuon Chea defence team at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, and the Oneissi defence team at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague. Following these, Omar was a Legal Assistant at international consultancy firm Global Diligence LLP, in Paris, where he worked on an International Criminal Court (ICC) communication.
Omar has volunteered at several charities including Bail for Immigration Detainees, Detention Action and Equal Rights Trust.
Education
Executive Course in Public International Law, SOAS
BPTC, College of Law (Very Competent)
LLM in Law and Development, University of Manchester (Merit)
BA in Law with Politics, University of Manchester (2:1)
Memberships
The Honourable Society of Inner Temple
Criminal Bar Association
Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
Association of Young International Criminal Lawyers (AYICL)
Arab Lawyers Forum
Appointments and Awards
Admitted to the List of Assistants to Counsel before the International Criminal Court (ICC)
Admitted to the List of Specialist Counsel before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) as Co-Counsel
Guernica 37 Equality & Diversity Officer
Geoffrey Nice Foundation on ‘Law, History, Politics and Society in the Context of Mass Atrocities,’ Dubrovnik and Prishtina – Awarded scholarship from Inner Temple to attend this Master Class and Alumni Conference
Languages
English
Arabic
Expertise
Domestic Criminal Law
International Criminal Law
Public International Law
International Human Rights
Extradition & Mutual Legal Assistance
Immigration & Asylum