Top award for lecturer’s work on access to justice
Dr Imranali Panjwani has won a prestigious award for work with vulnerable groups
Dr Imranali Panjwani, second right, receives his award
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) lecturer Dr Imranali Panjwani has received a national award for his important work helping vulnerable groups, including palliative patients at Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford.
At a ceremony at Westminster Park Plaza in London this week, Dr Panjwani won the Spirit in the Community category of the prestigious GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards.
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, paid tribute to the British Asian community, describing them as “some our greatest Britons” as she congratulated winners at the event, which was attended by more than 700 guests, including politicians, entrepreneurs, celebrities and leaders from ethnic minority communities across the UK.
Dr Panjwani is a Senior Lecturer in Law and works within the Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion (CAJI) at ARU, which undertakes research and works with communities on current issues and challenges facing access to justice and inclusion in contemporary society.
Dr Panjwani also works closely with Chelmsford-based Farleigh Hospice, developing spiritual care for palliative patients from varying religious, non-religious and cultural backgrounds.
His research critically reviews immigration procedures relating to religious, linguistic and cultural evidence, enabling the UK asylum system to assign proper weight to primary source evidence they might otherwise discount.
His work resulted in 91 asylum seekers from the Middle East, North Africa, India and Southeast Asia being granted leave to remain in the UK. In addition to this work, Dr Panjwani trained 70 local nurses in spiritual healthcare as part of the East of England Palliative Care Network.
“I am extremely humbled to receive the GG2 Spirit in the Community award. I thank God, my parents, wife and children for their support and sacrifices that I am able to make to help those who live on the margins of society.
“If we are to forge ahead in these difficult times, we must never forget the golden rule – a rule that transcends religion, race, culture, gender and country, ‘Treat others as you would wish to be treated by them’.”
Dr Imranali Panjwani, Senior Lecturer in Law at ARUThe GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards, now in their 26th year, celebrate the best of ethnic minority talent in Britain and are established as the premier awards for diversity and leadership in the UK.