Mahmud Jamal, First Indian-Origin Justice to Be Nominated to Canada Supreme Court

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put in the nomination of an Indian origin man, Mahmud Jamal to be the Justice of the Supreme Court. He became the first person of colour to be nominated to the apex court of Canada. Before him, was Rosalie Silberman Abella.

Silberman Abella who will be retiring from the position was the first Jewish woman and a refugee to be on the post. After her, Jamal will take over now.

In a statement that was released recently, Prime Minister Trudeau said that “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.”

Mahmud Jamal has worked with dedication, all his life. He was appointed to the Court of appeal for Ontario in 2019. He was there for at least 35 appeals. He was also the professor of constitutional law at McGill University and administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School.

“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, memorising Arabic prayers from the Quran and living as part of the Ismaili community,” Jamal said in the application submitted to Supreme Court.

He did his Bachelor in Arts from the University of Toronto. He then completed Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law from the Faculty of Law, McGill University. He did the Masters from Yale Law School under the Fulbright Scholarship.