PM Justin Trudeau nominates first Muslim judge to Canada’s Supreme Court

TORONTO (Web Desk) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has nominated the first-ever Muslim judge to the Supreme Court of Canada.

According to the media reports, Mahmood Jamal has been a judge on the Ontario Court of Appeal since 2019 and has taught constitutional law at McGill University in Montreal and York University’s Osgoode Hall in Toronto.

Born in Kenya to Ismaili Muslim parents, the 54-year-old grew up in England and Canada. He later converted to the Baha’i faith upon marrying his Iranian-born wife, according to a questionnaire made public Thursday as part of his nomination. He studied economics at the University of Toronto before graduating with law degrees from McGill and Yale University.

Mahmood Jamal will assume the seat left vacant by the retirement of Justice Rosalie Abella on July 1. He is the fourth judge Trudeau has nominated to the top court since taking office in 2015.