Celebrate a quarter-century of creativity and inspiration at Lowry.

Nazir Afzal OBE is a trailblazing legal expert, social justice advocate, and influential public figure with over 30 years of groundbreaking work in the criminal justice system. As the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England and Director in London, he led the prosecution of some of the UK’s most high-profile cases, including the pivotal prosecution of the Rochdale grooming gang—a case that reshaped the landscape of child protection. Nazir has personally overseen more than 100,000 prosecutions annually, advocating for justice on critical issues such as child sexual abuse, violence against women and girls, and honour-based violence.

His national leadership extended beyond the courtroom. Nazir served as Chief Executive of the Police and Crime Commissioners and as National Adviser to the Welsh Government. He has provided expert legal guidance to a broad range of government agencies, charities, and organisations, contributing to policy and legislative change in areas of public safety, law reform, and social equity. As the first independent Chair of the Catholic Church’s Safeguarding Agency, he helped transform the church’s approach to safeguarding.

Nazir’s impact stretches far beyond the legal profession. He currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Manchester, the largest and most popular university in the UK, and as Chair of The Lowry Theatre, known as the “National Theatre of the North.” He also chairs the Church of England National Safeguarding Panel and holds positions with a variety of influential bodies, including the Creative Industries Standards Agency, and until recently, National Police Chiefs Ethics Committee, and the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Nazir is a strategic advisor to the People’s Powerhouse and the innovative tech company Bikal Technologies.

In addition to his professional roles, Nazir is deeply committed to charitable causes, acting as patron and trustee for multiple NGOs such as ServiceSix, Jan Trust, and the Samantha Sykes Foundation. His efforts reflect his passion for creating positive change. His independent reviews of culture at London Fire Brigade and the Nursing & Midwifery Council were seen as groundbreaking.

Nazir’s memoirs, The Prosecutor, were published in 2020, while his 2022 book, The Race to the Top, reflects on leadership and overcoming adversity. A highly regarded speaker, Nazir regularly delivers keynotes on leadership, social justice, and law reform across the globe.

A highly decorated figure, Nazir was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2005 and received the UK Government’s Justice Award in 2007. He has also been named in the Asian Power 100 and the Muslim Power 100 as one of the UK’s most influential individuals and was named Man of the Year by the Asian Media Group in 2012. In 2022, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pride of Birmingham Awards and was honoured with the inaugural “Disruptor for Good” award at the Northern Power Women Awards. Most recently, he was recognised as the “Voice for Good” at the Northern Leaders Awards 2025.

Nazir’s extraordinary work has earned widespread acclaim, with the BBC film Three Girls based on his landmark case, and his impact has been described by the Times as “forensically intelligent” and by the New York Times as “the authentic face of British justice.”

Through his leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication to justice, Nazir Afzal continues to inspire change and transform lives across the UK and internationally.