KATHMANDU: Professor and barrister Surya P. Subedi, who is from Nepal, has been appointed an Honorary Queen’s Counsel (QC) for his contribution to international law and to the advancement of human rights, in Britain.

A press release issued by the British government on Friday stated that Subedi made “an exceptional contribution over a sustained period at the international level to develop international law and to advance human rights.”

He is an International Law Professor at the School of Law of the University of Leeds and he is chosen one of five distinguished legal academics and law practitioners that have been appointed Honorary QCs by the Queen Elizabeth upon the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor.

Congratulations to Professor Surya Subedi @Law_Leeds who has been appointed an Honorary QC for his human rights work https://t.co/y7dBD0jCZ8 pic.twitter.com/0roKPzinZ4

— University of Leeds (@UniversityLeeds) January 12, 2017

The award is conferred on qualified lawyers and legal academics, who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales outside practice in the courts.

Commenting on his appointment, Subedi said, "I feel extremely honoured to have been appointed an Honorary Queen’s Counsel in recognition of my work in international law and human rights.”

He had served for five years from 2010 as a member of the Advisory Group on Human Rights to the British Foreign Secretary.

Earlier, during his tenure as the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights for six years, he had produced four substantive reports published by the United Nations focussing on judicial, parliamentary, electoral and land reforms in Cambodia.