Palbinder Kaur Shergill Becomes First Turbaned Sikh Canada Supreme Court Judge

Indian-origin Sikh human rights advocate Palbinder Kaur Shergill has been appointed as a Judge at the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster. Ms. Shergill is 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, announced the appointment on Friday under the new judicial application process announced on October 20 last year. The appointment was made with immediate effect as Justice Shergill replaces Justice E A Arnold-Bailey, who retired on May 31.

Born in Rurka Kalan in Jalandhar District, Ms. Shergill migrated to Canada with her family at the age of four. She grew up in Williams Lake, British Columbia, and received her law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

Called to the British Columbia Bar in 1991, she has held leadership positions both within and outside the legal community. She has been involved with the Cabinet of Canadians, the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, and the Canadian Bar Association. From 2002 to 2008, Ms. Shergill served on the Board of Directors of the Fraser Health Authority, the largest health region in the province.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Ms. Shergill practiced as a lawyer and mediator with her law firm, Shergill & Company, Trial Lawyers. Being a renowned human rights lawyer in Canada, Ms. Shergill has represented the interests of the Canadian Sikh community before the Canada Apex Court in several cases, including the one dealing with the right of Sikh students to wear the Kirpan (ceremonial dagger) in schools.