Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in Nunavut

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Faiyaz Alibhai, Acting General Counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, is appointed a Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice. Justice Alibhai replaces Justice B. Tulloch, who resigned effective October 1, 2022.

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"I wish Justice Alibhai every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will  serve the people of Nunuvut well as a member of the Nunavut Court of Justice."

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Faiyaz Alibhai was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, lived in India for two years, and came to Canada in 1975 at the age of 6. He completed his undergraduate degree in 1991 from the University of Toronto and his law degree from the University of Calgary in 1994. He was called to the Ontario bar in February 1996 and the Nunavut bar in September 2003, and became a member of the Law Societies of Yukon and the Northwest Territories in February 2023.

Justice Alibhai started his legal career in private practice and spent 7 years, amongst other matters, defending individuals charged with criminal code offences. In 2003, he joined the Iqaluit office of the Federal Prosecution Service and lived there with his family for two years. As a result of his work with Justice Committees throughout Nunavut and Crown Witness Co-ordinators, he became familiar with the north and Nunavummiut. Notwithstanding his departure after two years, he continued to return to Nunavut to assist the Nunavut Regional Office with various prosecutions.

Justice Alibhai joined the International Assistance Group in Ottawa in 2005 and acted as counsel for the Minister of Justice. He liaised with and advised regional prosecutors, police services, and central authorities from other countries, with respect to incoming and outgoing requests under the Extradition Act. He returned to Toronto in 2006 and for the next 17 years prosecuted cases involving criminal organizations, wiretaps, international investigations and significant amounts of illegal drugs.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada has appointed more than 695 judges since November 2015. This includes 68 appointments since the Honourable Arif Virani became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada on July 26, 2023. These exceptional jurists represent the diversity that strengthens Canada. Of these judges, more than half are women, and appointments reflect an increased representation of racialized persons, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and those who self-identify as having a disability.
• To support the needs of the courts and improve access to justice for all Canadians, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the capacity of superior courts. Budget 2022 provides for 22 new judicial positions, along with two associate judges at the Tax Court of Canada. Along with the 13 positions created under Budget 2021, this makes a total of 37 newly created superior court positions. Since Budget 2017, the government has funded 116 new judicial positions.
• Changes to the Questionnaire for Federal Judicial Appointments were announced in September 2022. The questionnaire continues to provide for a robust and thorough assessment of candidates but has been streamlined and updated to incorporate, among other things, more respectful and inclusive language for individuals to self-identify diversity characteristics.
• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.
• Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016.
• The Government of Canada is committed to promoting a justice system in which sexual assault matters are decided fairly, without the influence of myths and stereotypes, and in which survivors are treated with dignity and compassion. Changes to the Judges Act and Criminal Code that came into force on May 6, 2021, mean that in order to be eligible for appointment to a provincial superior court, candidates must agree to participate in continuing education on matters related to sexual assault law and social context, which includes systemic racism and systemic discrimination. The new legislation enhances the transparency of decisions by amending the Criminal Code to require that judges provide written reasons, or enter them into the record, when deciding sexual assault matters.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: Chantalle Aubertin, Deputy Director, Communications, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, 613-992-6568, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]