2026 Milvain Lecture with The Honourable Justice Shirzad Ahmed of the Federal Court of Canada

Join UCalgary Law for the 2026 Milvain Lecture with The Honourable Justice Shirzad Ahmed of the Federal Court of Canada.

Justice Ahmed’s lecture, Living, Practicing, Judging: Three Perspectives on Social Justice, Human Rights and Immigration and Refugee Advocacy, will explore the intersections of lived experience, legal practice, and judicial decision-making in advancing social justice and the protection of human rights.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026
12:15 - 2 p.m.
Online

Speaker bio:

Appointed September 14, 2017, Justice Shirzad Ahmed is a Justice of Canada’s Federal Court.  In 2023, he was elected to serve as the President of the Americas Chapter of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ).  He also serves on the Management Board of the Global IARMJ.  Justice Ahmed is a strong advocate for the protection of human rights worldwide and is also heavily invested in mentorship in the legal profession, community service, and legal ethics.

Justice Ahmed is proudly Kurdish, having been born in Kirkuk, Southern Kurdistan.  He travelled through several countries before arriving in Canada in 1984.  He is also a proud Calgarian.  Prior to his appointment, he was a sole practitioner in Calgary and practiced exclusively in immigration and refugee law, human rights, and civil liberties.  He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from Simon Fraser University.

In 2009, Justice Ahmed was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence, Alberta’s highest award.  In 2008, he received the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of Alberta’s Distinguished Service Award for Pro Bono Legal Service.  He is the recipient of several honours from the University of the Fraser Valley, including the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011, Top 40 Alumni Award in 2014, and a Doctor of Laws Degree (honoris causa) in 2015 for his dedication to the defence of human rights.

Questions? Contact Peter Dawe at [email protected].