Having defended clients in a wide variety of criminal matters, including white-collar offences such as corruption, money laundering and cheating, as well as defended accused persons charged with hurt offences, sexual offences, drugs offences, and offences under the Official Secrets Act, Haneef’s primary area of practice is criminal defence.
His work has been documented in the media, including on Channel News Asia, where he acted for an accused persons facing two charges of aggravated sexual assault and five charges of aggravated outrage of modesty. Additionally, Today reported on Haneef’s matter, wherein he represented an accused facing seven charges of ill-treating her children from 2019 to 2021, and was successful in obtaining the sentence sought for by the Defence.
Besides his criminal defence practice, Haneef has also represented clients in matters such as family law, Syariah law, and harassment claims under the Protection from Harassment Act.
Haneef graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence (with Distinction) and a Bachelor of Arts (Double Major in International Relations and History) from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He completed his pupillage at a prominent maritime law firm.
He is an ardent proponent of access to justice and takes on pro bono matters. He regularly represents clients from the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Legal Aid applicants, and prior to being called to the Bar, Haneef was deeply involved in legal aid work, working as a paralegal in the Crime Department of the Legal Aid Bureau in Sydney, Australia, where he was involved in matters before various levels of the courts of New South Wales, Australia.