This fall, UNB Law proudly welcomed Sudaba Yameen to the Faculty as a Visiting Practitioner. Yameen has brought significant experience and insights to our community from her judicial career in one of the world’s most complex legal and social landscapes, Afghanistan.
Yameen’s career has been defined by a commitment to justice and human rights under extraordinarily challenging circumstances. As a former judge of the Elementary Court in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, she devoted over four years to championing the rights of women, often in cases involving domestic violence.
Prior to being a judge, she served as a lawyer and legal advisor to Women for Afghan Women, an organization dedicated to helping Afghan women and girls exercise their rights to pursue their individual potential, to self-determination, and to representation in all areas of life—political, social, cultural, and economic.
Yameen holds a bachelor’s degree in Sharia Law from Kabul University and received her judicial training from the Judicial Institute of Afghanistan. She partially completed a master’s degree, which was interrupted by the Taliban’s return to power.
In August 2021, as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, the safety and future of women judges like Yameen became dire. Describing the necessity of going into hiding to protect herself and her family, Yameen recalls, “After the collapse, when the Taliban took over, we were in danger because we were judges. We were hiding in our own country. Not just me, all female judges in Afghanistan.”
The international response provided some hope, as organizations like the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) worked tirelessly to evacuate vulnerable female judges. “They gave us hope, and they tried to evacuate us,” Yameen recounts, crediting the organization for her eventual escape to Greece. After a seven-month wait in Greece, the Canadian government announced it would accept female judges from Afghanistan, offering Yameen and 38 other Afghan women judges and their families a new beginning in Canada.
The journey from being a respected legal figure in Afghanistan to rebuilding her life and career in Canada has not been without its challenges. “We lost everything we had in our country,” she reflects. “Starting in a new country, it’s really hard, especially for us, because we studied Sharia Law in Afghanistan. Now here in Canada, we have common law, so it’s totally different.”
Despite the challenges, Yameen approaches her role at UNB with optimism, viewing it as an opportunity to grow and contribute to her field. “I consider this a big opportunity, especially for my career.”
Yameen’s time at UNB Law is made possible through the Faculty of Law’s Heritage Fund and a collaboration with the IAWJ, which is actively working with Canadian law schools to support Afghan judges who want to become lawyers. Since arriving, she has completed an English course at McKenzie College (Moncton), something she considers an important step in adapting to life and work here in Canada. Yameen has immersed herself in Canadian legal culture, attending lectures, and engaging in events within the Faculty and the greater legal community.
Her primary academic focus is on a legal research project titled, The Impact of the Taliban Regime on Women’s Access to Justice: A Case Study of Divorce. This research is deeply personal for Yameen, as it seeks to document the stark realities faced by Afghan women under the current Taliban rule. Women in Afghanistan are confronting increasingly harsh restrictions: they are barred from working, prohibited from leaving their homes without a male escort, and systematically denied access to justice.
“My research is on the impact of the Taliban regime on women’s access to justice,” she explains, “with an emphasis on how these restrictions hinder women’s ability to seek divorce, a fundamental issue in family law. Right now, in Afghanistan, women are facing a very difficult situation. It makes life very hard for them.”
Through her work, Yameen aims to shed light on these struggles, hoping to increase global awareness of the circumstances Afghan women endure. She elaborates, “One of my goals is raising awareness about the situation of women in Afghanistan, the challenges they are currently facing under the Taliban regime.” This research project not only contributes to the academic discourse at UNB, but also serves as a vital narrative of resilience and advocacy, spotlighting the dire human rights issues Afghan women face today.
Professor Sarah-jane Nussbaum has been providing research mentorship to Yameen at UNB Law and has noted Yameen’s excellent progress. “Sudaba is a tremendously thoughtful and dedicated legal researcher, and her project promises to offer meaningful and rich contributions to our understanding of women’s access to justice.”
Dean Michael Marin emphasizes that having Yameen among the faculty is a privilege. Noting the importance of her insights in enhancing the Faculty’s understanding of diverse legal traditions and the unique challenges of transitioning between legal systems.
“Sudaba’s presence here enriches our Faculty immensely, providing students and professors with a rare opportunity to understand the complexities inherent in her work as a judge in Afghanistan. Her story embodies resilience, courage, and an unwavering dedication to justice. Her participation in Faculty activities and her research project bring a unique and valuable perspective to the UNB Law community.”
