Media Advisory - Legal humanitarian to receive honorary LLD

Mark Persaud honoured for extensive public service

TORONTO, June 15, 2016 /CNW/ - The Law Society of Upper Canada will present a degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD), to lawyer Mark M. Persaud at its Call to the Bar ceremony in London on June 17.

As part of its Call ceremonies each year, the Law Society awards honorary doctorates to distinguished people in recognition of outstanding achievements in the legal profession, the rule of law or the cause of justice. Recipients serve as inspirational keynote speakers for the new lawyers attending the ceremonies.

Mark Persaud has devoted his legal career to public service. A regular volunteer with community-based organizations assisting refugees, the homeless and youth at risk, he is also a strong voice for groups committed to addressing issues of equity and discrimination. He was the founder and President of the Canadian International Peace Project.

He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1993, only 10 years after arriving in Canada as a political refugee fleeing turmoil and persecution in Guyana. (See full attached biography.)

Law Society Treasurer Janet E. Minor will award the honorary LLD to Persaud, who will then deliver the keynote address to the 112 new lawyers attending the ceremony.

More than 1,500 new lawyers will be called to the Bar this June at six ceremonies throughout the province.

When:	Friday, June 17, 2015
	10:30 a.m.
Where:	London Convention Centre
	300 York Street, London, Ontario

Biography

Mark M. Persaud was called to the Ontario Bar in 1993, only 10 years after arriving in Canada as a political refugee fleeing turmoil and persecution in Guyana.

He majored in political science at York University and went on to receive his LLB and LLM at Osgoode Hall Law School. He has also studied at the Center for Study of Values in Public Life at Harvard University.

As a lawyer, teacher and writer, he has contributed to community development within Canada and internationally on issues of domestic and international peace, security, development, civil liberties and human rights.

He is the principal of the Persaud Law Group where he practises in civil litigation, including commercial and construction litigation, criminal, regulatory, administrative law and professional discipline.

He has held a broad range of positions, including as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, and as counsel to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

He has taught Canadian Constitutional Law and Administrative Law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Michigan and been a guest lecturer in Criminal Law and Foundations of Law.

He has been recognized for his extensive public service. He is the recipient of the Alumni Public Sector Law Gold Key from Osgoode Hall Law School (2007), and both the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) for his leadership and contributions to Canada. 

SOURCE The Law Society of Upper Canada

Media please note: Please confirm your attendance in advance by contacting Susan Tonkin, Communications Advisor, [email protected], or 416-947-7605. Find @LawsocietyLSUC on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. #lawyered