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A criminal defence barrister who built a prominent profile as an advocate for diversity and social mobility in the legal sector is facing a potential custodial sentence following a week-long trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Samreen Akhtar, 37, from Huddersfield, was found guilty of intentionally encouraging or assisting grievous bodily harm with intent. The conviction marks a significant shift in fortune for the practitioner, who has publicly spoken about her pride in her working-class roots and her Pashtun heritage, noting how her father, a mechanic, would proofread her pupillage applications to help her break traditional barriers and enter the profession.
The prosecution case focused on the aftermath of a 2021 shooting involving Tabish Ali, a Huddersfield man subsequently jailed for life for his part in a separate, fatal gangland feud. The court heard allegations that Akhtar used professional contacts to discover the identity of the person who shot Ali, and subsequently became involved in an agreement to locate and injure the individual.
The timeline of the case has drawn attention from industry peers reported by the Daily Dazzling Dawn. Akhtar was initially arrested in 2023 but was permitted to continue practicing and representing clients for months after being charged. A formal interim suspension was ultimately enacted by the Bar Standards Board on July 3, 2026, just as her trial commenced. Commenting on the procedural delay, a fellow barrister told journalists: "Samreen Akhtar was once thought of as one of the brightest young talents on the circuit but it's been a spectacular fall from grace. It's an appalling travesty that she was able to carry on working in courts of law while facing such serious charges linked to organised crime. She should have been suspended as soon as she was arrested."
In response to the verdict, a spokesperson for the Bar Standards Board stated: "Barrister Samreen Akhtar has been suspended from practice by the Chair of our Independent Decision-Making Body. Under our Enforcement Regulations, the interim suspension must now be considered by an Interim Suspension Panel at a hearing within the next four weeks." Akhtar remains on bail ahead of her formal sentencing hearing, which is scheduled to take place on September 7, 2026.
