The new head of the UK’s anti-terror watchdog has successfully recovered millions from dictators and fraudsters and fought cases against terror suspects.
Barrister Jonathan Hall QC has been appointed as the government’s new Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation by the Home Secretary.
During his career he has specialised in covering national security and serious crime cases.
He made headlines last year when he successfully obtained the UK’s first wealth order using the country’s new anti-corruption laws against the wife of a disgraced banker jailed in Azerbaijan.
While her husband was in jail for fraud, Zamira Hajiyeva spend £16m (Dh74,538,575) shopping in London's Harrods and she now has to explain how she obtained the money for the shopping and her two £22m (Dh106.1m) UK properties or it will be seized.
He was also responsible for freezing £23m (Dh107,149,202) of assets stolen by former Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha.
Acting for the home office, he has also successfully challenged legal cases by suspected terrorists who sought to claim their human rights were being breached.
In his spare time, Mr Hall QC volunteers as a security guard at a synagogue in London, attended by his family, following a rise in anti-Semitic attacks.
Mr Hall QC, 47, has taken over his new role from Max Hill, QC, who left last October to become director of public prosecutions.
“I am very pleased and honoured to take up this appointment. This is an important role at a time when the threat to the UK is increasingly complex,” he said.
“As a practicing barrister with extensive experience of national security and serious crime, I look forward to working across the landscape of terrorism legislation to ensure that the UK is an international proponent of best practice.”
As part of his role, Mr Hall will be required to provide an annual report on his findings, which the government must lay before Parliament and publish.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “With the threat from terrorism continuing to evolve and diversify, it is vital we have robust oversight to ensure our counter-terrorism laws are fair, necessary and proportionate. Mr Hall brings a wealth of experience and legal expertise to help deliver this.”
He is due to commence the role on Thursday.
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
