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After starting life as a criminal defence lawyer and youngest ever Federal prosecutor in Perth, she moved to the UK in 1998 where she eventually commissioned as a Legal Officer in the British Army in 2001.
In a terrifying ordeal that garnered worldwide attention, along with a male colleague, she assisted with the rescue of two SAS soldiers from Iraqi insurgents in Basra. Her male colleague received a Military Cross for outstanding bravery, while Rabia’s part in the incident was covered up by the British Army and Government. In a fight for justice she brought a landmark discrimination case against the UK Ministry of Defence, and won.
In 2006 Rabia was awarded a Queen’s commendation for her human rights work in Iraq and in 2009 was the Runner Up for Australian Woman of the Year UK. Rabia went on to become a Crown Advocate in the British Counter Terrorism Division, which saw her prosecuting Al Qaeda terrorists, hate crimes and advising on war crimes prosecutions in The Hague.
She has recently written and published her memoir, “Equal Justice”, which is a story about strength, resilience, courage, conviction and determination. An Australian/UK feature film is shortly to be made about her life.
Rabia was born in Perth, Australia in 1971 and spent the first five years of her life in India. She is the eldest child of an Indian Muslim father and an Australian mother. In 1976 her family migrated to Perth where she then grew up, was educated and remained until her mid twenties.
Rabia’s first experiences of social inequality and injustice were at a young age when she witnessed first-hand the difficulties and discrimination faced by migrants in conservative 1970s suburban Australia. At the tender and vulnerable age of nine she also experienced abuse for the first time, which quickly robbed her of her childhood and her innocence. These experiences undoubtedly informed decisions and choices Rabia later made in life.
Rabia obtained a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Western Australia and started her legal career at Legal Aid WA, where she practised predominantly as a criminal defence lawyer. She then moved to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, where she became one of the youngest federal prosecutors in Australia.
In 1998 Rabia moved to the United Kingdom with the intention of expanding her legal practice to the fields of International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law.
In September 2001, after re-qualifying as Solicitor Advocate of England and Wales and travelling through Eastern Africa, Europe and South America, Rabia commissioned as a Legal Officer in the British Army, a rather unexpected career choice! Her career in the Army took her to England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Middle East.
Rabia later became the Army’s recruitment “poster girl” by promoting equality and diversity within the British Armed Forces. In a terrifying ordeal, whilst deployed to Iraq in 2005 Rabia, along with a male colleague, assisted with the rescue of two Special Forces soldiers from Iraqi insurgents during a hostage situation that garnered worldwide attention.
After the Iraq hostage incident Rabia’s male colleague was awarded a Military cross for outstanding bravery for his part in the incident, while Rabia’s involvement was covered up by the British Army and Tony Blair’s Government. In her fight for justice she brought a landmark race and sex discrimination case against the UK Ministry of Defence.
In 2008 Rabia left the British Armed Forces and went on to become a Crown Advocate in the British Counter Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, which involved working on some of the most high profile terrorism and hate crime prosecutions, as well as advising on war crimes cases. This role also took Rabia to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
In 2008 Rabia and her husband welcomed their precious triplet sons into the world. Parenting triplets was to become Rabia’s biggest and most rewarding challenge yet!
In 2011 Rabia decided to move to back to Australia in order to provide her family with a safe, balanced and healthy lifestyle. So far Australia has not disappointed! Rabia currently works as Senior Government Legal Counsel, whilst also juggling professional public speaking and facilitating engagements, the publication of her first book, “Equal Justice”, guest lecturing and tutoring at the University Western Australia and various television and radio appearances and interviews relating to her story and her work in promoting Women in Leadership, equality and diversity in the workforce and the rights of women, children and ethnic minorities.
Rabia speaks English, French (conversational), Spanish (poorly) and Arabic (worse)! She has run the London marathon for charity, undertaken human rights and community aid work in the Middle East, South America, South East Asia and Australia.?Rabia is a member of the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Committee, UN Women Australia, Law Society of Western Australia Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Committee, Australian Institute of Management, Women on Boards Australia and a Board Member of Kids Are Kids! Children’s Education and Therapy Centre.
