Ahmad Nizam Abbas

Lawyer’s Profile

Mr. Nizam has substantial experience in Family Law, Syariah Law, Criminal Law, and Private Wealth. He participated in the Parliamentary Select Committee’s hearing on the amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act of 1998, contributing extensively to the development of Muslim law in Singapore. He has represented clients across several landmark cases with regard to employment, conflict of laws, Muslim law, and criminal matters.

From 2010 through to December 2021, Mr. Nizam held position as the Chairperson of the Law Society’s Muslim Law Practice Committee. Additionally, Mr. Nizam holds several tribunal appointments, including the Panel of Advisers of the Youth Court and the Panel of Child Representatives at the Family Justice Court. He also serves on the Tribunal of Maintenance of Parents.

Ahmad Nizam’s appreciation for law and love for teaching the next generation of lawyers is reflected in his activity as a lecturer on Family Law, Wills, Probate, and Administration and Mediation at the Singapore Institute of Legal education (the Singapore Bar), which all lawyers must take after graduation. He is also a Trainer and Assessor with the Singapore Mediation Centre and collaborates with the National University of Singapore on its Muslim Law Practice course specifically designed for practitioners. In 2020 he co-created the first ever module on Islamic family law in Singapore, now used in the LLB program at Singapore University of Social Services (SUSS).

In addition to his law practice and associated activities, Mr. Nizam participates in numerous civic activities, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and TRANS Family Services. He has a long history serving as chairperson, board member, or general member of several other organizations, listed below.

Quallifications & Awards

• 2020 – Ranked as Litigation Star in Family and Matrimonial Law in 2020 edition of Benchmark Asia-Pacific Litigation
• 2020 – Listed as Recommended Lawyer in Matrimonial Law in Doyle’s
• 2019 – present: Member of Maintenance of Parents’ Tribunal
• 2019 – present: Volunteer Mediator, Family Justice Court
• 2018 – present: Member of Panel of Advisors, Vulnerable Adult Court
• 2017 – Listed as a Recommended Individual in Dispute Resolution in Asia Pacific Legal 500
• 2016 – present: Primary Justice Lawyer of Community Justice Court
• 2015 – present: Child Representative, Family Justice Court
• 2009 – present: Member of Panel of Advisors, Youth Court
• 2007 – Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM) or Public Service Medal
• 1994 – Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore
• 1992 – Barrister- at-Law Lincoln’s Inn
• Panel, Legal Aid Bureau
• Panel, LASCO (Legal Aid Scheme for Capital Offences) under Supreme Court.

Selected Publications

• Muslim Family Law in Singapore, co-written with Istyana Ibrahim & Maryam Rozlan (Academy Publishing, 2022).
• The Syariah Court of Singapore: Achieving a More Formal Access to Justice in The Role of Lawyers in Access to Justice (Asian and Comparative Perspectives) edited by Helen Whalen-Bridge, National University of Singapore (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2022).
• Ahmad Ibrahim’s Role in Shaping Islamic Laws in Singapore – from Colonial to post-colonial, in Beyond Bicentennial (Perspective on Malays), World Scientific Press, 2020.
• Recent Developments in Muslim Law Practice in Singapore, co-written with Jaclyn Neo, Arif Jamal and Halijah Mohd, Singapore Law Gazette, March 2019.
• Children in Family Law, Custody issues: Similarities and differences between Civil and Syariah Courts, Singapore Academy of Law Journal, October 2018.
• The Islamic Legal System in Singapore, Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal of the University of Washington, 2012.

Selected Civic Activities

• 2020 – present: Member, Citizenship Inquiry Committee (Ministry of Home Affairs)
• 2020 – present: Member, Public Guardian Advisory Committee (Ministry of Social and Family Development)
• 2020 – present: Member, Mandatory Aftercare Advisory Committee (MHA)
• 2016 – present: Member, Institutional Discipline Advisory Committee (Ministry of Home Affairs)
• 2002 – present: Management Committee member, TRANS Family Services (previously TRANS Centre)

Previous Civic Activities

• 2011 – 2017: Board Member, MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
• 2010 – 2013: Board of Governors, Nanyang Polytechnic
• 2010 – 2011: District Councillor, Central Singapore Community Development Council
• 2006 – 2011: Supervisory Panel member, REACH (previously Feedback Unit)
• 2005 – 2008: Council Member, MUIS or Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
• 2004 – 2006: Chairman, National Youth Forum
• 2003 – 2008: Member, National Youth Council
• 2003 – 2007: Board Member, Mendaki
• 2003: Member, Censorship Review Committee
• 2002 – 2006: Member, National Cancer Centre, MediFund committee
• 2002 – 2005: Chairman, TRANS Family Services (previously TRANS Centre)
• 2002 – 2005: Board Member, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
• 2001 – 2006: Chairman, Feedback Group on Community Development under Feedback Unit, MCYS
• 1999, founding member; 2003-2005 President of Mendaki Club
• Board Member, Education Trust Fund (ETF)

Corporate Activities

• Independent Director, CH Offshore Pte Ltd.
• Director, ERA Dance Theatre Pte Ltd (Chairman from 2012 to 2020).
• Member, Singapore Institute of Directors.