Faisal Bhabha

Biography

Faisal has researched and published in the areas of constitutional law, disability rights, multiculturalism, legal ethics, national security, and access to justice. He advises a variety of public interest organizations and individuals in matters pertaining to public administration and human rights, and has frequently appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada as an intervener. Faisal has also served as an expert witness before Canadian parliamentary committees and as a member of the Equity Advisory Group of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

From 2008 to 2011, Faisal served as Vice-Chair with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, where he adjudicated and mediated hundreds of cases. Since 2011, Faisal has been a full-time professor at Osgoode Hall Law School where he teaches in the areas of constitutional law, international law, and legal ethics. He is also the Faculty Director of the Canadian Common Law LL.M. program and was formerly the Director of the Anti-Discrimination Intensive and Mooting Programs.

Faisal has held visiting academic appointments around the world, including at Monash University (Australia), Jindal Global Law School (India) and Sherbrooke Law School (Quebec). He has also spent time working with human rights NGOs in South Africa and Palestine.

Faisal was honoured with an Osgoode Hall Law School teaching award in 2014 and was named “Male Lawyer of the Year” by the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto (SABA) in 2012.

As counsel to Pooranlaw, Faisal is an integral part of the firm. He supports his colleagues with strategic advice, research, negotiation, and camaraderie. He maintains a small but active litigation practice focusing on individual and test cases involving human rights and civil liberties in work, education, housing, and public administration.

Community involvement and advocacy work

Faisal has always maintained strong community connections. Throughout his career, he has worked to increase public legal awareness and to promote justice education. He regularly speaks at public legal information sessions and in community discussion forums.

Faisal also devotes considerable time to pro bono advocacy work on behalf of individuals and community groups. In particular, Faisal has served, or serves, in the following roles:

• Volunteer Educator, Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), Toronto
• Member, Board of Directors, Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS), Toronto
• Chair, National Security Policy Committee, National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Ottawa
• Member, Equity Advisory Group, Law Society of Ontario (LSO, formerly LSUC), Toronto
• Member, Program Committee, International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), Toronto

Publications

For a complete list of Faisal’s academic publications, click here.

Notable cases

• Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. Ishaq, [2016] 1 FCR 686, 2015 FCA 151 (CanLII) [Fed Ct Ap]
• Quebec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) v. Bombardier Inc. (Bombardier Aerospace Training Center), [2015] 2 SCR 789 [SCC]
• Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. Harkat, [2014] 2 SCR 33 [SCC]
• v. N.S., [2012] 3 SCR 726 [SCC]
• Sagharian v. Ontario (Education), 2008 ONCA 411 (CanLII) [Ont Ct Ap]
• Canada (Attorney General) v. Brown, 2008 FC 734 (CanLII) [Fed Ct]
• National Capital Commission v. Brown, 2008 FC 733 (CanLII) [Fed Ct]
• Charkaoui v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), [2007] 1 SCR 350 [SCC]
• F.W. v. Ontario (Health Insurance Plan), 2007 CanLII 80011 (Ont Health Services App and Rev Bd)
• J.S. (Litigation Guardian of) v. Nunavut, 2006 NUCJ 1 (CanLII) [Nunavut Ct Jus]
• Harper v. Canada (Attorney General), [2004] 1 SCR 827 [SCC]
• Nieberg (Litigation Guardian) v. Simcoe County District School Board, 2004 CanLII 25398 (Ont Sup Ct)