Professor Mashood Baderin

Mashood Baderin holds a Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies with Distinction from the University of Maiduguri, and a First Class LLB (Hons) Combined Double Major Degree in Common Law and Shari’ah Law from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. 

He thereafter attended the Nigerian Law School and qualified as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. After some years in legal practice, he obtained scholarship grants for his postgraduate studies at the University of Nottingham, where he obtained his LLM in Public International Law, studying Public International Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law, Law of International Organisations, and Collective Security Law.  

He also obtained his PhD from the University of Nottingham with his thesis titled: “Modern Muslim States between Islamic Law and International Human Rights Law”. He earlier taught at different universities in the UK before joining SOAS as Professor of Laws in 2007. He was Head of the SOAS School of Law from 2009-2012; Director of the Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law (CIMEL) from 2012-2015; Member of the Board of Trustees of the International African Institute from 2012-2016; and Chair of the SOAS Centre of African Studies (CAS) from 2014-2018. He has also been a Visiting Professor to The Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM) in Nilai, Malaysia and the American University of Paris (AUP) France, where he taught classes on Human Rights and Islamic Law.  

He was appointed as the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan by the UN Human Rights Council at its 19th Session in March 2012, and served in that role for two and half years before stepping down in November 2014. He was also appointed by the then UK Foreign Secretary to serve as a Member of the Foreign Office Human Rights Advisory Group in 2013, and as a Member of the Foreign Office Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief in 2014. 

He has supervised 15 PhD students to successful and timely completion as Principal Supervisor, and many others as Supporting Supervisor. He welcomes PhD supervision enquiries in the areas of Islamic Law, Comparative Human Rights Law, International Law, and Law & Development in Africa. As part of his community engagement work, he is currently, the Resident Islamic Consultant at the Muslim Association of Nigeria UK (MANUK) Old Kent Road Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre, London, SW1 5JH. 

Islamic Law, International and Comparative Human Rights Law, Public International Law, Human Rights & Islamic Law, especially interaction between International Law, Human Rights Law, and Islamic Law in Muslim States.

Inaugural Lecture

• Religion and international law: friends or foes?