Partner

Direct 416.947.5091
Fax 416.365.1876
ranand@weirfoulds.com

Raj practises in the areas of human rights, constitutional and administrative law, labour relations, civil litigation, professional negligence and discipline. He is a former Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and presently acts for complainants and respondents before the Ontario and Canadian Human Rights Commissions. He has acted as a Board of Inquiry under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Police Services Act, as Co-Chair of the University of Toronto Tribunal and as counsel to a number of administrative tribunals. He is now the Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Legal Support Centre.

Raj has spoken and written on diverse subjects including trial, appellate and administrative advocacy and human rights. He graduated with the Dean's Key in 1978 from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He served in 1986-1987 as a Task Force to the Ontario Government on the Law Concerning Trespass to Publicly-used Property as it Affects Youth and Minorities. His experience as an adjunct professor includes "The New Administrative Law" (2000, 2006 and 2009) in the LL.M. programme at Osgoode Hall Law School and "Diversity and the Legal Profession" at U of T's Faculty of Law.

Raj is recognized as a leading practitioner in Toronto in the areas of Workplace Human Rights and Litigation - Public Law in the Canadian Legal Directory by Lexpert. A list of publications and speaking engagements by Raj is set out in this biography.

Practice Areas

Human rights and employment law

Civil litigation and professional negligence

Administrative and constitutional law  

Called to the Bar
Ontario (1980)
Education
University of Toronto
LL.B. 1978
Dean's Key

Queen's University
B.A. 1975

Languages
  • French
Awards & Recognition

Professional Man of the Year, Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, 2007.

Law Society Medal, the highest honour awarded by the governing body of the legal profession in Ontario, 2003.

The first recipient of the Advocates' Society Award of Justice, 1997.

Professional Activities

Law Society of Upper Canada, Bencher (2007 – 2011)

Board of Inquiry Panel member under the Ontario Human Rights Code (1989-1994) and Police Services Act (1991-93)

Co-Chair University of Toronto Tribunal

Board of Directors, Court Challenges Program, 1996-1998

Board of Directors, Advocates' Society

University of Toronto Law Alumni Association, Vice-President

Board of Directors, Income Security Advocacy Centre (1999-2005)

Law Commission of Canada, Study Panel on Electoral Reform, 2001

Equality Rights Panel, Court Challenges Program of Canada

Board of Trustees, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

President, Pro Bono Law Ontario, 2003-2005

Public Interest Advocacy Counsel to various community organizations including MARC, NWAC, NAPO, CERA, OCAP, CCPI, CEC and EGALE as well as the Canadian and Ontario Human Rights Commissions and several other administrative boards.

Adjunct Professor Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.M. Programme in Administrative Law, 2000 and 2006, "The New Administrative Law".

Affiliations

Chair, Minority Advocacy and Rights Council

Commentator, Labour law and human rights issues on "Workweek", TVOntario and Newsworld, 1990-91 and 1991-92.

Canadian Bar Association

Law Society, Equity Advisory Group, Advocates' Society representative (for seven years)

South Asian Bar Association

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce

Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice

Community Involvement

Member of the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Ontario

Member of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2005 – 2007)

President of the University of Toronto Law Alumni Council

Equality Rights Panel of Federal Court Challenges Programme

Board of Directors of the Advocates' Society (2004 – 2007)

Board of Directors of Pro Bono Law Ontario (also President 2003-2005)

Member of the Equity Advisory Group of the Law Society of Upper Canada (2000 – 2007)

Called to the Bar

Ontario (1980)

Education

University of Toronto
LL.B. 1978
Dean's Key

Queen's University
B.A. 1975

Languages

  • French