AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—On June 24, the President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar announced to honour first turbaned female Sikh Judge Palbinder Kaur Shergill. He said that Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill has made the entire Sikh community proud for which she deserves special honour by the apex Sikh body.
Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar further said that Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill has been fighting for Sikh rights in Canada from long time. He specially mentioned her role in fight against ban on carrying ‘Sri Sahib’ by students in Canadian schools.
It is pertinent to note here that on June 24 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.
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.
