British Columbia Supreme Court judge of Indian-origin, Parbinder Kaur Shergill, has become first turbaned Sikh woman Supreme Court judge of Canada.
Shergill migrated from Punjab to Canada with her family when she was four years old.
Her appointment was announced along with two other judges by Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, under the new judicial application process. The new process emphasises transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity, The Times of India reported.
Known as a prominent human rights lawyer in Canada, Shergill was instrumental in helping shape human rights and religious accommodation law in Canada through her pro bono work as General Legal Counsel for the World Sikh Organisation of Canada. “Prior to her appointment to the bench, Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill practised as a lawyer and mediator with her law firm, Shergill and Company, Trial Lawyers. She has extensive trial and appellate experience and has appeared before courts and tribunals across Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice Shergill was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2012 and is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Community Service,” said the introduction released by the minister.
Shergill grew up in Williams Lake, British Columbia, and received her degree in law from the University of Saskatchewan. Called to the British Columbia Bar in 1991, she held leadership positions both within and outside the legal community. She was involved with the Cabinet of Canadians, the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, and the Canadian Bar Association.
She also volunteers as a high school debate coach, plays the tabla and harmonium, and is kicking her way towards a black belt in taekwondo. She is fluent in English and Punjabi, has a conversational knowledge of Hindi, and is aspiring fluency in French. She lives in Surrey with her husband, daughter, and twin sons.
Meanwhile the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) of Canada congratulated Shergill on her appointment. WSO noted that she was the first turbaned Sikh to be appointed to the judiciary in Canada. She had served as general legal counsel for the WSO since 1991 on a pro bono basis.
“Justice Shergill represented the WSO and the interests of the Canadian Sikh community in several landmark cases heard by the Supreme Court of Canada, including Syndicat Northcrest v Amselem, dealing with freedom of religion, Multani v Commission Scolaire, dealing with right of Sikh students to wear the kirpan in schools and Loyola High School versus Quebec (Attorney General) with respect to the right of a Catholic high school to teach the provincial Ethics and Religious Culture course from a Catholic perspective,” WSO said.
WSO President Mukhbir Singh said, “The appointment of Justice Shergill is another milestone for the Sikh community in Canada. It is a matter of great pride that we today have the first turbaned Sikh appointed to the judiciary in Canada and that too someone who has worked so closely with our organisation. Justice Shergill’s dedicated service to the legal profession and the community are well known and she has truly made a difference through her work. We were very fortunate to have had Justice Shergill as a key member of our legal team and we now look forward to her serving Canadians as a member of the BC bench.”