Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is pleased to recognize that former partner, The Honourable Mr. Justice Mahmud Jamal, has been nominated today to the Supreme Court of Canada. 

Justice Jamal, who is bilingual, had a distinguished career as a litigator with a deep commitment to pro bono work prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He appeared in 35 appeals before the SCC on civil, constitutional, criminal, and regulatory issues. He also taught constitutional law at McGill University and administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School. Justice Jamal was the consummate legal scholar and advocate during his career as a barrister.

Justice Jamal was at Osler from 1996 to 2019 before being appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in June 2019. If confirmed, Justice Jamal will be the second Osler partner alumnus on the current Supreme Court, joining The Honourable Madam Justice Suzanne Côté.

Born in Kenya, he was raised in England, and completed high school in Edmonton. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees from the Faculty of Law, McGill University, and a Master of Laws from Yale Law School, which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship. He served as law clerk to The Honourable Mr. Justice Melvin Rothman of the Quebec Court of Appeal and The Honourable Justice Charles Gonthier of the SCC.

Throughout his legal career Justice Jamal has made a considerable impact in the legal community, serving as a director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, The Advocates' Society, and the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History.

The selection process was launched on February 19, 2021 to fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of The Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella.

On behalf of everyone at Osler, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Justice Jamal.