Justice Mahmud Jamal has been nominated by Canadian President, Justin Treadue to the Supreme Court of Canada, making him the first person of colour to be selected to the apex court of the country. The President made the announcement on Thursday. Justice Mahmud Jamal will be replacing Rosalie Silberman Abella, the first refugee and first Jewish woman to be on the top court, as she is retiring.
In the statement that Justin Trudeau released, he mentioned that he was pleased to announce the nomination of Justice Mahmud Jamal to the Supreme Court of Canada. He also mentioned that Justice Jamal has “exceptional legal and academic experience” and is dedicated to serving others. He named Justice Jamal to be a “valuable asset” to the country’s high court.
Justice Jamal is a Kenyan born whose family is originally from India. In 1981, his family emigrated to Canada, where they settled in Edmonton where he completed high school, CTV News mentioned. Justice Jamal had a remarkable career as a litigator with a sincere dedication towards pro bono work before his appointment to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2019, mentioned the Prime Ministers Office.
He also served as a law clerk to Justice Melvin Rothman of the Quebec Court of Appeal and Justice Charles Gonthier of the Supreme Court of Canada.
