Turbaned Female Sikh Appointed as Supreme Court Judge

Judge Palbinder Kaur Shergill

NEW WESTMINSTER, Canada—The Honourable Madam Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill Q.C. has been appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster.  Justice Shergill is the first turbaned Sikh to be appointed to the judiciary in Canada. 

In today’s announcement by The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced three appointments to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.  Justice Shergill was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster, effective immediately.

Justice Shergill has been a leading human rights advocate and has represented the WSO and the interests of the Canadian Sikh community in several landmark cases heard by the Supreme Court of Canada, including Syndicat Northcrest v. Amselem, dealing with freedom of religion, Multani v. Commission Scolaire, dealing with right of Sikh students to wear the kirpan in schools and Loyola High School v. Quebec (Attorney General) with respect to the right of a Catholic high school to teach the provincial Ethics and Religious Culture course from a Catholic perspective.    

Justice Shergill is a prominent member of the Sikh community in Canada and is regularly invited to speak on human rights and Sikh issues both nationally and internationally. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2012 and is also a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Community Service.  Prior to her appointment, Justice Shergill had a busy full-time private practice as lawyer and mediator with her law firm Shergill & Company, Trial Lawyers, specializing in commercial and civil litigation.

SO counsels Balpreet Singh (WSO) and Palbinder Kaur Shergill, QC at the Supreme Court of Canada, March 2014

In addition to her volunteer work in the Sikh community, Justice Shergill also served as a Governor for the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and as a Director on the Fraser Health Authority Board from 2002 to 2008.  She is also a past Chair of the National Administrative Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

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 we today have the first turbaned Sikh appointed to the judiciary in Canada and that too someone who has worked so closely with our organization.  Justice Shergill’s dedicated service to the legal profession and the community are well known and she has truly made a difference through her work.  We were very fortunate to have had Justice Shergill as a key member of our legal team and we now look forward to her serving Canadians as a member of the BC bench.”

She had also served as general legal counsel for the WSO since 1991 on a pro bono basis.

 

32 COMMENTS

  1. Harish you have clearly not understood to this day – Khalistan is for all Hindus, Sikhs Christian muslims alike save for someone like you who is clearly seeing nothing else but Hindus. Its called humanity and you know nothing about this.
    Anyway very PROUD of Palbinder Kaur Shergill – stay in chardi kala always!! dogs will bark!!

  2. What a logic.
    Who stops in Punjab any one from practising his faith.
    As for Nations Punjab was an independent nation before the Britishers came and anexxed it after Anglo–Sikh wars in 1848.
    They then divided Punjab between two newly constructed Nations called India and Pakistan in 1947.
    Now when we are sitting in our homes you have the audacity to call us

    Communal
    Extremists

    You need to mind your language Harish.
    India or Punjab is not your personal property.
    Communal and Extremists are those guys who did the Genocide 84 and extra judicial killings.

  3. You slogan of Khalistan is very hurtful . That means Hindus have to leave punjab and even if they left over there . They will have miserable life . We don’t want to leave our motherland . Maybe some people are good from you but extremists will take over to the new country . Hindus will persecuted . So that is the reason , we are strongly against Khalistan and never let it happen

    • ‘you’ are strongly against Khalistan because it will lead to the break-up of ‘mother’ India….how many states want independence? Just look where the Indian army is committing atrocities in India…there’s your clue

  4. No , I am not a hater . Who is just replying that we will not take anymore disrespect from you people . Everything that Hindus believe you make fun of them . Our gods whom we love too much you call them monkey , snake , rat believer , you guys keep on going without thinking what the other person feels who love them too much .

    • you’re not a hater??? really??

      Don’t forget the caste system you love so much.

      You Gods are not the ultimate power in the universe…they failed in their mission and hence Sikhi was created by Waheguru himself. Sorry, that makes tough reading…but it’s true.. ‘Argaya pai akaalki, tubee chulayo panth’

  5. I think you don’t know who is Brahman, Brahman is the person who has the knowledge of Brahm, who is the creator of whole universe, you can call Him God, Allah, Ram, (not son of dashrath ), parmatma,or Vaheguru. Maybe you will find something from vedas about brahm or Vaheguru. After Manu simriti, (not the real Brahman ), the people from Brahman family just learned about classification or hate not about brahm, parmatma, God or Vaheguru, that’s why they are just spreading hate not peace, equality or justice.

  6. If you can open a website only to criticize Hindus . I can’t even post a comment . This is not Khalistan , where only Sikhs can write whatever they want

    • Please Practice Hinduism and be an good Hindu .
      God Ram and God Krishna will bless you.
      Even Wahe Guru will bless you.

  7. Congratulations ! We are proud of you. The whole world praises Sikhs, I don’t know why some RSS minded people feel jealous. Sikhs will always remain in ‘chardi kla ‘ with the blessings of Vaheguru.

  8. I want to thank dal Khalsa and all khalistanis forces to make me a real Hindu . Because I was very secular before . I used to consider my brothers . Thanks to them to tell me that I am different from them we are not brother .we can not coexist . There will always be a friction . Thanks to these communal forces who has awaken the Hindus .

    • There is NO DEARTH OF AKIRTGHANS like HARISH SHARAMA in the world. Such low life part of RSS/Hindutva are dime are all over. We should let them burn in their own FILTH.
      Ajit Singh

    • Harish. your mind is so polluted with the pig waste.remember the history of Dal khalsa and khalsasthani when they were saving your Hindu helpless herd from the Aurangzeb and Mogul rulers who forced converted Hindus to islam.your name could have been Harish khan by now.it was the Gandhi and nehru who were so communal cheated the sikhs in 1947.who denied the sikhs fundamental rights in the india constitution.they under wraped the Buddhism,Jainism and sikh religion as class and section of Hindus.wasn’t this communal.take a life search and stand for justice.you are living in christians world who has given us and you Hindus all the rights and privilege in canada.Hindu goverment of india order sikhs,jainas and buddhist to declare themselves as hindu to recieve these rights Article 25.

  9. It is great for justice. Persons who fight for human rights are always fare to everybody. Congratulations to Palbinder Kaur Shergill. As far as Mr Sharma is concerned his comments are totally meaningless and no one should waste time replying to him.

    • Why do you stay that.
      Slkhs are extremely fair people.
      Punjab was an independent Nation before the Britishers dismantled it after the Anglo–Sikh wars in 1830.
      They then divided Punjab between two new Nations they built in 1947 India and Pakistan.
      Sikhs ,Hindus and Muslims use to peacefully and happily co exist with each other in the Ranjit Singh’s Punjab.
      The poison of Religion was injected by the Britishers.
      Judges are generally fair people except in the case of GENOCIDE -84 .

  10. Harish Sharma, you got the answer. You need the EYES to see, and have a clear conscience! I hope this message will help you ESPECIALLY since you tend to go on a rampage of condemnation of anything to do with Sikhi and gurbani. God Bless!

  11. Harish Sharma, you got the answer. You need the EYES to see, and have a clear conscience! I hope this message will help you ESPECIALLY since you tend to go on a rampage of condemnation of anything to do with Sikhi and gurbani. God Bless!

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