Mahmud Jamal nominated as Judge to Canada’s Supreme Court

Mahmud Jamal nominated as Judge to Canada’s Supreme Court

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, nominated the first person of colour to Supreme Court of Canada, yesterday. "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," said Trudeau.

Prior to his nomination, Mahmud Jamal was an Ontario Court of Appeal judge since 2019. He had previously taught at two of Canada's top law schools and worked for decades as a litigator. As a part of his profession as a litigator he had appeared in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court.

Raised in Britain, Mahmud was born in 1967 into an Indian family in Nairobi, and in 1981 moved to Canada. Mahmud, an Ismaili Muslim by birth has later converted to Baha'ism.

Though a formality, Jamal must still be vetted by the House of Commons justice committee.

Canada is a multicultural nation with almost one quarter of its population of 38 million identifying in the last census as a member of a visible minority group.

Recent attacks on Muslims, its historical treatment of indigenous peoples (to an extent to be labelled by a commission as "cultural genocide") and police brutality against Black people and other ethnic minorities have highlighted the ongoing legacy of racism in Canada.

Trudeau last year took a knee in solidarity with US protestors marching against racism and recently has said many white Canadians had awakened "to the fact that the discrimination that is a lived reality for far too many of our fellow citizens is something that needs to end."

"Systemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all of our institutions," he said.

Talking about his and his wife’s hybrid religious and cultural upbringing, Mahmud says, “exposed me to some of the challenges and aspirations of immigrants, religious minorities, and racialized persons."

"Like many others, I experienced discrimination as a fact of daily life. As a child and youth, I was taunted and harassed because of my name, religion or the color of my skin."

"After we married (his wife emigrated from Iran to escape persecution of the Baha'i minority), I became a Baha'i, attracted by the faith's message of the spiritual unity of humankind, and we raised our two children in Toronto's multi-ethnic Baha'i community," Mahmud added.

Mahmud replaces Justice Rosalie Abella in the nine-person highest court of law in Canada.