12 July 2010 : ACSeS’ First Leadership Summit

Mirza, as President of ACSeS, organized a very special ACSeS’ First Leadership Summit, which was held on board HMS President, moored on the River Thames, London.

Follow link to read <http://www.balgps.org.uk/LeadershipSummit.htm> and to book your place. There is a very special gift for the first 20 fee paying delegates -  a speed boat thrill on the River Thames, with Bond music!

1^st May 2010 : Mirza was interviewed, as President of ACSeS, in magazine (at page 4) :

http://www.dontdelaymagazine.com/Desktopmodules/OnlineMagazine/OnlineMagazineSpring2010/ 

26 April 2010 : Mirza welcomes President of Law Society for England & Wales, Robert Heslett, and President of Birmingham Law Society, Bernard Shepherd, to Birmingham City Council’s Legal Department’s Training Day <http://www.balgps.org.uk/0429-Presidents%20make%20history%20in%20Birmingham.htm>

25 March 2010 : Article from Dr Nicholas Dobson on a general power of competence for local government

The Chairman has been closely associated with this important LGA initiative for local government.

Follow link to read the article: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/in-practice/local-government-general-competence-restore-vires-confidence

23 February 2010 : Elections Purdah Period – Annual Monitoring Officer Guidance

To read the Mirza’s Annual Monitoring Officer Guidance to all Members and Chief Officers of Birmingham City Council, sent in December 2009, on the build up to and how to deal with Elections Purdah Period issues <http://www.balgps.org.uk/electionsguidance.htm>

10^th December 2009 :

Mirza went public over the second Consultation Paper issued by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority on the proposed changes, during 2010, to the Solicitors’ Practising Certificate fees. The current fees paid by local government solicitors are grossly unfair, feather bedding the legal profession and against the public interest. The Chairman has argued strongly that the statutory exemption applicable to the Government Legal Service should be equally applicable to local government and other public sector employed solicitors.

To view the article published on the Local Government Lawyer  website:

<http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=581%3Asra-moves-to-reduce-grossly-unfair-pc-fee-for-local-government-solicitors&catid=51%3Amanagement-articles&q=&Itemid=8 >

19 November 2009 :

¨       Mirza was elected the President of the Association of Council Secretaries & Solicitors (www.acses.org.uk ).

ü      To view the article published in the Municipal Journal:                  

       <http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=83931>

ü      To view the article published on the Local Government Lawyer  website:

<http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=430%3Alawyers-can-meet-leadership-challenge-says-acses-president&catid=51%3Amanagement-articles&q=&Itemid=11>

31 October 2009 :

¨       Mirza was profiled, with photo, in the Business Section of today’s The Times (page 79) on the extension of powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to local authorities:

 http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6896042.ece

June 2009 :

¨       MIrza was a speaker at The Lawyer Conference  on Local Government Legal Services Reform Conference in Westminster on Wednesday 17 June 2009. <http://www.thelawyer.com/councils-emulate-private-practice-models-in-modernisation-drive/1001127.article>

29^th – 30^th March 2009 :

¨       Mirza attended the LB Cambridge Spring School as a Wise Counsel (http://www.lbcwisecounsel.com/lbcambridge/ ).

7^th March 2009 :

¨       Mirza received the “Public Lawyer of the Year Award 2009” from Paul Marsh, the President of The Law Society for England & Wales, and Nazir Afzal OBE, Director of CPS on behalf of the Society of Asian Lawyers, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London : <http://www.balgps.org.uk/Public%20Lawyer2009.jpg> (http://www.societyofasianlawyers.org/)

18^th February 2009 :

¨       Mirza spoke at the ACSeS Monitoring Conference in London. This was repeated on 12^th March 2009 in Manchester (http://www.lgg.org.uk/training/members-governance/534 )

29^th January 2009 :

¨       Mirza took part in the Black Lawyers Directory’s Legal Launch Pad event being held at DLA Piper offices in London. (www.onlinebld.co.uk )

¨       Mirza’s Legal & Democratic Services Department was “Highly Commended” in the Midlands Excellence Awards. The Ceremony was held at the ICC, Birmingham and the awards were presented by James Caan of Dragon’s Den fame: <http://www.balgps.org.uk/0129-midexcaward09.jpg> <http://www.balgps.org.uk/0129-midexcaward2-09.JPG>

14^th January 2009 : Mirza was confirmed as Corporate Director of Governance at Birmingham City Council. He has been Acting up in this position since January 2007.

5^th January 2009 : Mirza was profiled in this week's publication of The Lawyer magazine as one of their "Hot 100" for 2008. There were only two lawyers from Local Government in the "Hot 100" and the Chairman leads the list from Birmingham, which includes Nicola Hart of Pinsent Masons, Alex Jones of Mills & Reeve and Ralph Lewis QC of No 5 Chambers. (http://www.balgps.org.uk/0105-TheLawyer%20Hot%20100%202008-MA.pdf)

9^th July  2008 : - Mirza received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) from Manchester Metropolitan University in recognition for “his exceptional service to the legal profession, his work on ethical governance, human rights and freedom of information that has made him such an appropriate role model for those following in his footsteps”.

The Awards Ceremony was webcast live round the world. To view the University’s Press Release, Awards Ceremony 9 (Faculty of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences, at 6 pm) and Birmingham City Council’s Press Release, please follow the links: -

ü      http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/894/

ü      http://www.mmu.ac.uk/graduation/archive/2008/

ü      http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=136835&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=9&MENU_ID=276

In his thanksgiving speech to the MMU and congregation held at the Bridgewater Concert Hall, Manchester, he paid tribute to and thanked, in particular, all the hard working Councillors and staff of Birmingham City Council (past and present), his colleagues at the Association of Council Secretaries & Solicitors and Debo Nwauzu, the Founder & Managing Director of the Black Lawyers Directory.

26^th June 2008 : - Mirza’s Legal & Democratic Services Department won Municipal Journal’s Legal Achievement of the Year Award. It was also a Finalist in The Lawyer Awards 2008 in their In-house Public Sector Team of the Year, held in London on 24^th June 2008.

2^nd June  2008 : - Mirza spoke on Good Governance at the CIPFA (Scotland) Conference being held in Edinburgh. View details at :- http://www.cipfascotland.org.uk/events_details.cfm?events_ID=3976

13^th May  2008 : - Mirza spoke at  :  “The Fundamentals of Local Government Law”  in London : http://www.lgc-law.co.uk/homepage.asp?m_pid=0&m_nid=26894

24^th April 2008 : Mirza was featured in the Law Society Gazette –

View link to their website  or view attachments :Page 1: http://www.balgps.org.uk/0424-gazette1.jpg,; Page 2:  http://www.balgps.org.uk/0424-gazette2.jpg Page 3: http://www.balgps.org.uk/0424-gazette3.jpg

11^th & 12^th March 2008 : - Mirza was a keynote speaker at  : “Preparing for the Corporate Manslaughter Act” 

-  Birmingham & London : http://ec.emap.com/lgc/corporatemanslaughter/

6^th March 2008 : Mirza spoke at the LGG Annual Monitoring Officer Conferences held in Leeds:  www.lgg.org.uk   

22^nd November 2007 : Mirza spoke at the CIPFA  Conference for Local Government: “Good Governance and Leadership: Is the Chief Executive ready for the Mandatory Statement?” at the Hesperia Hotel, London

<http://www.balgps.org.uk/1122-goodgovconf.pdf>

14^th & 15^th November 2007 : Mirza spoke at the ACSeS Annual Conference : “The Knowledge” at the Tower Hotel, London

http://www.balgps.org.uk/2007-ACSeS%20Conference.htm

9^th November 2007 : Mirza spoke at a meeting, in London, of the Chief Executives of the UK Association of National Parks to discuss “Good Governance”.

15^th & 16^th October 2007 : Mirza contributed in The Standards Board for England’s Annual Assembly at the ICC, Birmingham.

http://www.annualassembly.co.uk/Programme/Sessionmaterials/

9^th July 2007 : Mirza was profiled in The Lawyer magazine. <http://www.balgps.org.uk/0710-thelawyer(MA).pdf>

28^th April 2007 : Mirza spoke at the Minority Lawyers’ Conference being held in at the Law Society, Chancery Lane, London  <http://www.balgps.org.uk/0428-MLC%202007%20Programme.pdf>

21^st March 2007 : Mirza spoke at the CRE / LGIU Conference, held in London, on tackling misinformation during the elections purdah period.

February & March 2007 : Mirza spoke at the LGG Annual Monitoring Officer Conferences held in London (on 5th ) and in Leeds (on 6^th March ) :  www.lgg.org.uk   

10^th February 2007 : Mirza was profiled in the Inaugural Muslim Power 100 at a Gala Evening Event held  at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London, and he was also awarded their Public Sector Excellence Award. A copy of the article appearing in their publication and Press Release are attached:

<http://www.balgps.org.uk/MAPower100.htm> / < http://www.balgps.org.uk/PressRelease.htm>

January 2007 : Mirza’s evidence to the Parliamentary Select Committee, in December 2004, is available on line at: