Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has nominated Justice Mahmud Jamal to the top court of Canada. With the appointment, he has become the first person of color to sit in the Supreme Court of Canada.
“I am pleased to announce the nomination of Justice Mahmud Jamal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Respected around the world, Canada’s Supreme Court is known for its strength, independence, and judicial excellence. I know that Justice Jamal, with his exceptional legal and academic experience and dedication to serving others, will be a valuable asset to our country’s highest court,” said PM Trudeau.
Justice Mahmud Jamal has had a distinguished career, throughout which he’s remained dedicated to serving others. He’ll be a valuable asset to the Supreme Court – and that’s why, today, I’m announcing his historic nomination to our country’s highest court. https://t.co/GSoW3zCU3b
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 17, 2021
The announcement came after Chief Justice Richard Wagner urged to increase the diversity on Canadian courts and also hoped that gender balance would also be maintained in coming years.
“I was raised at school as a Christian, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and absorbing the values of the Church of England, and at home as a Muslim, memorizing Arabic prayers from the Quran and living as part of the Ismaili community. Like many others, I experienced discrimination as a fact of daily life,” wrote Justice Jamal in the questionnaire he filled for Supreme Court position.
Early Life and Education
- Mahmud Jamal was born in 1967 to an Indian family in Nairobi, Kenya. They moved to England in 1969 and then they emigrated to Edmonton, Canada in 1981. He is fluently bilingual.
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto.
- Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Laws from McGill University Faculty of Law
- Master of Laws from Yale Law School as Fullbright Scholar
Legal Career
- Mahmud Jamal carries 25 years of a stellar career in the legal industry. Prior to his appointment as the judge, He worked as a litigator and partner with Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt. He has argued various pro-bono cases to help advance underprivileged individuals, frequently those experiencing discrimination.
- He was also nominated to the Ontario Court of Appeal on June 24, 2019.
- He has argued 35 appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada on civil, constitutional, criminal and regulatory issues.
- He was also a professor of constitutional law at McGill University and administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School
