South Asian-Canadian attorney appointed to provincial court bench

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Toronto, Ontario – The Attorney General of Ontario appointed a South Asian attorney to the Ontario Court of Justice.

Hafeez Shahbudin Amarshi, president and director of the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto, was appointed to the provincial bench Feb. 24, according to a press release from SABA. The South Asian Bar Association of Toronto is one of the 26 chapters of  the South Asian Bar Association, North America (NASABA).

Justice Hafeez Amarshi was called to the bar in 2002. He has worked as a criminal defense lawyer, and most recently, as Crown counsel for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. He also served on the Board of Directors for Flemingdon Community Legal Services and in 2012 was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, which recognizes contributions to Canadian citizenship and public service. The Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice Lise Maisonneuve has assigned Justice Amarshi to preside in Brampton, a region with a high population of people of South Asian origin.

“Justice Amarshi is recognized as a legal thought leader not only in Toronto but throughout Canada,” Rishi Bagga, President of SABA North America, is quoted saying in a press release. “SABA is pleased to see the growing representation of talented South Asians in the Canadian judiciary. We have every confidence that Justice Amarshi will be a great jurist,” Bagga added.

“In practice, Justice Amarshi was a kind, thoughtful and civil advocate. As SABA Toronto President, he was a capable leader. As a judge, he will be all those things and more,” added SABA Toronto’s immediate past president Ranjan Agarwal.