Toronto| Indian-origin Justice Mahmood Jamal has become the first non-white person to be nominated to the Supreme Court of Canada.
He has been promoted from the Court of Appeals of Ontario where he has served since 2019.
Justice Jamal was born in Nairobi in 1967 where his family had migrated from India a generation earlier.
The family later moved to the UK in 1969.
He came to Canada with his family in 1981 and studied at the University of Toronto for his degree before going to McGill University and then Yale University to study law.
Prime Minister Trudeau is pleased to announce the nomination of Justice Jamal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Revered around the world, the Supreme Court of Canada is known for its strength, independence and judicial excellence.
“Justice Jamal, with his exceptional legal and academic experience and dedication to serving others, will be a valuable asset to the Supreme Court of our country.”
Justice Jamal Diwani, who speaks fluent English and French, has appeared in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court on constitutional, criminal and regulatory issues.
Justice Jamal is married to Goleta, who fled to Canada as a teenage refugee after the 1979 revolution in Iran to escape the persecution of her Baha’i religion.
He converted to the Baha’i religion after marriage.
