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Prestigious awards recognition for leader in Islamic law

13 May 2024
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Dr. Mohammad Hedayati-Kakhki smiling

Visiting Law Professor Dr Mohammad Hedayati-Kakhki has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to education in the prestigious British Muslim Awards 2024.

The Awards celebrate the achievements of British Muslims in areas such as charity and community work, business and education.

Mohammad was awarded Highly Commended in the Services to Education category, with all the winners announced at a ceremony in Manchester, UK, on May 10 2024.

Leading the way

Mohammad was a first-class attorney before he completed a PhD at Durham, graduating in 2008.

He then moved into teaching Islamic law at our Law School, later co-founding the research group Islam, Law and Modernity with Professor Michael Bohlander.

He was appointed Special Advisor on Islamic Jurisprudence to the Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, also at Durham Law School.

Mohammad currently leads our Master’s module in International Law of Oil and Gas Contracts and was appointed Visiting Professor in 2022.

Sought-after expertise

Throughout his career Mohammad has published articles and book chapters relating to Islamic law, as well as on wider socio-legal issues such as the Arab Spring.

He is also on the editorial board of the Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law and Practice, which publishes articles written by Islamic scholars from all over the world.

As an expert in Islamic law, Mohammad advises courts, tribunals, NGOs, and the like on matters relating to cross-border jurisdictional issues.

This includes areas such as international human rights, immigration, criminal law and inheritance, with a focus on how Islamic legal systems interact with their Western counterparts.

He also provides forensic document examination and authentication services for courts, tribunals and government institutions where such documents have been issued by Islamic countries.

Sharing decades of knowledge

Mohammad said: “Over the past two decades I have dedicated my life to the law, both practice and teaching, and appreciate the opportunity that being a part-time lecturer affords in terms of sharing my wealth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of lawyers.”

Dr Shaid Mahmood, our Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said: “Mohammad is a leader in his field and Durham staff and students have greatly benefited from his expertise over the years. We are truly lucky to have him.

“I’m thrilled that his contribution to education has been recognised in the British Muslim Awards 2024 and I’m sure the whole Durham Law School community will join me in sending our warmest congratulations to him.”

Professor Volker Roeben, Dean of Durham Law School, said: “Mohammad’s long-standing course in oil and gas law is very popular, and, together with a renewables module, will be the nucleus of a new Master’s in Energy Law that we are working on. The recognition of Mohammad’s contribution to education in The British Muslim Awards is thoroughly deserved.”

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