Rehana Popal

Rehana Popal
Popal in 2023
Born1989 (age 36–37)
Afghanistan
EducationCity University, London
OccupationBarrister
Known forFirst Afghan national to be called to the Bar in the UK
Awards100 Women (BBC) (2021)

Rehana Popal (born 1989) is British-Afghan lawyer who became the first Afghan national to be called to the Bar and the first Afghan woman to practise as a barrister in England and Wales. In 2021 she received the 100 Women (BBC) award.

Early life and education

Rehana Popal was born in 1989 in Afghanistan.[1] She arrived in the United Kingdom as a five year old refugee, accompanied by her mother and three older siblings, and grew up on a council estate in inner London.[2][3][4] After completing her early education she was admitted to study international relations at City University, from where she graduated in 2011.[3][5] The following year she completed her Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at The City Law School.[5]

Before her pupillage, Rehana worked as a paralegal at Leigh Day, supporting civil claims brought by Afghans alleging human rights abuses by British forces.[3][6] In 2013 she was called to the Bar.[7]

Career

Popal undertook a short period of work with the United Nations.[1]

In 2018, Popal was the only female Afghan barrister practising in England and Wales, working as an immigration and civil law barrister at 10 King’s Bench Walk Chambers in the Temple.[8] That year she was taken off a case when a client asked to be represented by a white male, believing this would carry greater credibility with an English judge.[9] This incident led the chair of the Bar Council to send a message to solicitors reminding them that "Discrimination against a barrister on the basis of a protected characteristic is completely unacceptable".[10] Popal later said that she did not blame the solicitor, but that the problem lay in "the client's perception of the justice system, however incorrect or prejudiced".[11]

In 2019 she was recognised as "Barrister of the year" in the First 100 Years campaign's Inspirational Women in Law awards.[12][13] In 2021 she was included in the BBC 100 Women list.[2][14] She works to assist Afghans who served with the British armed forces during the war in Afghanistan.[2]

As of 2026 she is a member of No5 Barristers' Chambers in London.[15] She is a Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple and, in 2022 when appointed, was the youngest person to become a bencher.[15] In 2024, in South Asian Heritage Month, the Inner Temple Yearbook included her in a feature on "some of our distinguished South Asian Members" alongside Gandhi and Nehru.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "South Asian Heritage Month". Inner Temple Yearbook. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Rahman-Jones, Imran; Gill, Gurvinder (2021). "100 Women: The former child refugee helping Afghan asylum seekers". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "Rehana Popal". www.barcouncil.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  4. ^ Gibb, Jonathan Ames, Frances (10 November 2018). "Ditched Asian lawyer Rehana Popal had been stripped of six cases". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b "5 to watch" (PDF). City magazine. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Chambers is delighted to announce that Rehan Popal has joined". www.33bedfordrow.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. ^ Collison, Lucy (29 September 2025). "No5 Barristers' Chambers welcomes Rehana Popal (call 2013) to its Public Law Group". No5 Barristers' Chambers. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  8. ^ Bell, Sarah (9 November 2018). "Female Afghan barrister 'sacked in favour of white man'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  9. ^ Whelan, Christopher (2022). "12. A sporting chance? Courtroom tactics in a criminal context: VI. Playing the judge". The Bodyguards of Lies: Lawyers’ Power and Professional Responsibility. Oxford: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-5099-5699-9.
  10. ^ Rose, Neil (9 November 2018). "Bar chair urges solicitors to act over barrister bias". Legal Futures. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  11. ^ Rose, Neil (1 April 2019). "Discriminatory instruction barrister: Fault is system's not solicitor's". Legal Futures. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  12. ^ "Rehana Popal receives First Hundred Years award | City St George's, University of London". Rehana Popal receives First Hundred Years award. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Inspirational Women in Law Awards - next100years". next100years. Retrieved 12 March 2026.Source describing the awards
  14. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  15. ^ a b "Barristers". No5 Barristers' Chambers. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  16. ^ "South Asian Heritage Month". Inner Temple Yearbook. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
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