Zahid Jamil has over 25 years of experience as a strategic legal and policy advisor, with expertise across multiple disciplines. He has a holistic and broad-based understanding of the areas of virtual currencies, payment systems, criminal law, cybercrime, money laundering, finance, banking, electronic transactions, digital banking, corporate, commercial, digital signatures, regtech and cybersecurity.
He qualified as a Barrister from Gray’s Inn and is currently practicing law in the region, primarily in the UAE. He is a member of the Bar at the Dubai International Financial Center Court (DIFC Court), Special Legal Consultant to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court and High Courts of Pakistan. Mr. Jamil is also a CEDR-accredited mediator and has a cybersecurity certification from Harvard University.
He serves as a consultant and an expert for the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, having delivered introductory and advanced trainings around the world on cybercrime, electronic evidence, electronic transactions, cryptocurrencies and the Dark Web. Mr. Jamil has also drafted or advised upwards of 40 governments around the world in these areas. He served as the Founding Chair of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise Working Group on Cybercrime (C).
Mr. Jamil is also a member of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) Global Prosecutors E-Crime Network. In Pakistan, Mr. Jamil has served a special public prosecutor in one of the largest cybercrime and money laundering cases in the country. He was the first prosecutor to successfully exercise the freezing powers under Pakistan’s anti-money laundering legislation. He has also been involved in the enforcement of counterterrorism action and counterterrorism cases since 2001.
Mr. Jamil represents the Center for Strategic and Policy Analysis at ITU-D. He also has over thirteen years of experience related to policy matters at ICANN, including serving as the Chair-Elect, Chair and Associate Chair of the Nominating Committee, which appoints Board Members and other positions in ICANN. Prepared the revised draft of Commonwealth Model Law on Computer and Computer Related Crimes for the Commonwealth Secretariat. With respect to internet governance, he has also served for six consecutive years as an elected representative of global business on the ICANN Policy Council and as a member of the Multi Stakeholder Advisory Group for advice to the UN Secretary General on Internet Governance. In addition, he has been a member of ICANN’s gTLD Implementation Recommendations Team and Special Trademark Issues Working Group.
Mr. Jamil was engaged to lead the provision of legal consultancy services to the State Bank of Pakistan with respect to a digital banking regulatory framework. This task included a detailed review of local legislative requirements applicable to the banking, financial and payments space, conducing international benchmarking and a detailed gap analysis and advising on necessary amendments to enable a digital banking regulatory framework in Pakistan. He has also provided a legal opinion to the State Bank of Pakistan regarding the permissibility of cryptocurrencies under the current legal framework and has also provided advice regarding best practice approaches to regulating the exchange of cryptocurrencies.
Mr. Jamil provided policy and strategic advice to the Smart Dubai Government Establishment on the implementation of blockchain, virtual currencies, digital identities, and digital signatures. He also drafted the UAE Internet Activities Framework for the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority of UAE. This involved a detailed overview of telecom and internet related legislations and regulations applicable in the UAE and the formulation of a framework for the accreditation of eCommerce businesses in the UAE.
Mr. Jamil has been involved in the drafting of several Pakistan laws pertaining to the project, including the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 and the Payment Systems & Electronic Fund Transfer Act, 2007. He has advised on various other payments-related regulations, including the Rules for Payment System Operators and Payment Service Providers.
