Kirkuk-born Kurd appointed Federal Court judge in Canada
He was forced to flee during Saddam Hussein’s regime rule in Iraq. He eventually arrived in Canada as a refugee where he found a permanent home.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Government of Canada recently announced the appointment of a Kirkuk-born Kurdish judge to the country’s Federal Court
A press release by the Canadian Department of Justice in September announced that the appointment of Shirzad S. Ahmed, a lawyer based in Calgary, as a judge to the country's Federal Court.
“Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announced the following appointment under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016.”
According to the statement, “the new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.”
“Ahmed, a sole practitioner based in Calgary, is appointed a judge of the Federal Court. He replaces Justice L.S. Mandamin, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective August 19, 2017,” the statement added.
Ahmed was born in Kirkuk, in southern Kurdistan Region, and was forced to flee during Saddam Hussein’s regime rule in Iraq. He was turned away by 13 countries before gaining temporary refuge in Italy. He eventually arrived in Canada as a refugee where he found a permanent home.
Since 2004, Ahmed has worked as a sole practitioner in the areas of immigration, refugee, human rights, and civil liberties law, representing clients from every continent before various tribunals and before the Federal Court.
Editing by Nadia Riva