Abidah Abdul Ghafar is a Associate Professor at the Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). She graduated from International Islamic University Malaysia for the degrees of Bachelor of Laws in 1996 and Bachelor of Laws (Shariah) in 1997. Upon graduation, she started her legal pupillage at Messrs Letchu Suppiah & Co. She was enrolled as an advocate and solicitor in High Court of Malaya in 1998. She later pursued her studies at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and obtained Master of Islamic Studies (Syariah) in 2001. She started her academic career in 2000 as a lecturer at the School of Business Administration, Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS) [formerly known as Kolej Islam Darul Ehsan (KISDAR)] and appointed as the Head of Department of Muamalah. She joined the Faculty of Syariah and Law USIM in March 2002. Her PhD research entitled ‘Legal Protection for Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses (VIWs) from the Perspective of Human Rights: An Analysis in the Malaysian Criminal Justice System’ was accepted to receive a PhD degree from University of Leicester in 2012. Abidah is teaching various law and shariah law subjects in undergraduate and postgraduate level including family law and Islamic family law, communication law, Islamic law of evidence, administration of Islamic law and procedures in syariah courts, shariah judicial and advocatory practice, and law on halal. Abidah has a wide range of research interest in the area of child law, child and juvenile justice, family law and Islamic family law and administration of Islamic law. She has received various research grants from USIM (2003-2005), Ministry of Higher Education under Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (2013-2017), Committee for Legal Reform (JPUUM), Legal Affairs Division of Prime Minister’s Office (2013-2015) and Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) (2014-2016). She also involves in various administrative tasks and positions at the faculty.
Area of interest: criminal justice, child law, family law and Islamic family law, comparative studies of Syariah and law.