Palbinder Kaur Shergill, Indian-origin Sikh human rights advocate has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster.Shergill will be the first turbaned Sikh to be appointed to the judiciary in Canada, the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) of Canada said.
Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, has announced the appointment under the new judicial application process announced on October 20 last year.
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Welcoming the decision, 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 today we have the first turbaned Sikh appointed to the judiciary in Canada.”
The appointment was made with immediate effect as Justice Shergill replaces Justice EA Arnold-Bailey, who has retired on May 31, the report said.
As a leading human rights advocate, she has been instrumental in helping to shape human rights and religious accommodation law in Canada through her work as general legal counsel for the WSO since 1991.
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Shergill has practised as a lawyer and mediator with her law firm, Shergill & Company, Trial Lawyers.
She has extensive trial and appellate experience and has appeared before the courts and tribunals across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Shergill was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2012 and is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Community Service. She lives in Surrey with her husband, daughter and twin sons.
She was born in Punjab and immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of four. She grew up in Williams Lake, British Columbia and has received her law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
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Called to the British Columbia Bar in 1991, she has held leadership positions both within and outside the legal community. She has involved with the Cabinet of Canadians, the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association.
Shergill volunteered as a high school debate coach, plays tabla and harmonium and is kicking her way towards a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She is fluent in English and Punjabi, has a conversational knowledge of Hindi, and is aspiring towards fluency in French.
By Premji
