The Canadian Bazaar
TORONTO: Indian-origin Justice Mahmud Jamal has been nominated to the Supreme Court of Canada.
He will become the first non-white person to serve as a judge on the apex court of Canada. He practises the Baha’i faith.
Justice Jamal has been elevated from the Court of Appeal for Ontario where he has served since 2019.
Justice Jamal is of Indian origin. He was born in 1967 in Nairobi where his family had immigrated from India. The family later moved to Britain in 1969.
In 1981, the family decided to move to Canada and settle in Edmonton.
Justice Jamal studied at the University of Toronto for his degree in economics before going to McGill University and then Yale University to study law.
“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,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his nomination statement.
Trudeau said “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.”
Fluent in English and French, Justice Jamal has appeared in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada on civil, constitutional, criminal, and regulatory issues.
His nomination will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella.
Justice Jamal is married to Goleta who fled to Canada as a teenager escaping the persecution of her Baha’i faith in Iran after the 1979 revolution.
Justice Jamal also converted to the Baha’i faith after their marriage.
The couple have two teenaged children.
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