Indian-origin Justice Mahmud Jamal nominated to Supreme Court of Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named the Honorable Mahmud Jamal to the Supreme Court of Canada [SCC].

The nomination will be filling the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice Rosalie Abella.

As per an official Press Release dated June 17, 2021, “Justice Jamal had a distinguished career as a litigator with a deep commitment to pro bono work prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2019. He appeared in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada on civil, constitutional, criminal, and regulatory issues.”

The selection process that led to the nomination of Justice Jamal was launched on February 19, 2021.

In keeping with the requirements of the Supreme Court Act, the nomination process was open only to “qualified applicants from Ontario”.

Candidates were required to submit their applications, following which a shortlist was later developed.

As part of the selection process, the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments identified jurists that were – [1] of the highest calibre, [2] were functionally bilingual [in French and English], and [3] successfully met the statutory eligibility requirements for an Ontario seat.

According to Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, “I am pleased to announce the nomination of Justice Mahmud Jamal to the Supreme Court of Canada. …. 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.”

Justice Mahmud Jamal – Biography

·Parents originally immigrated from Gujarat in India. ·Born in Nairobi in 1967. ·Emigrated to Britain in 1969. ·Raised in England ·Completed High School in Edmonton ·In 1981, the family immigrated to Canada ·Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto ·Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees from the Faculty of Law, McGill University ·Master of Laws from the prestigious Yale Law School ·Previously taught at two of Canada's top law schools ·Taught constitutional law at McGill University ·Taught administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School ·Published widely in areas of practice ·An Ontario Court of Appeal judge since 2019 ·Worked as a litigator, including appearing in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court ·Appeared before various provincial courts, the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, and Tax Court of Canada, and federal and provincial administrative tribunals ·Served as a law clerk to Justice Charles Gonthier of the Supreme Court of Canada ·Served as a law clerk Justice Melvin Rothman of the Quebec Court of Appeal ·Practiced with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP ·Was a Director of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and The Advocates' Society. ·Fields: commercial litigation, class actions, appellate litigation, constitutional and public law ·Family – wife Goleta and 2 teenaged children

In a questionnaire – a part of the assessment process – Justice Jamal said that his experiences “exposed me to some of the challenges and aspirations of immigrants, religious minorities, and racialized persons. My perspectives on these issues have broadened and deepened over more than 25 years as a lawyer and judge.”

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