Speaker details

Biography

Hon. Arif Virani, P.C., K.C.: The Honourable Arif Virani is Senior Counsel at Torys LLP in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. Arif has a distinguished record of leadership, public service and legal excellence. Before joining Torys, Arif served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. As the Chief Law Officer of the Crown, he oversaw the administration of Canada’s justice system, provided broad strategic counsel to the federal government, and represented Canada internationally at meetings of the G7, the UN and the Commonwealth. During his tenure as Minister of Justice, Arif championed numerous initiatives in the service of the justice system, including streamlining the process and pace of judicial appointments, advancing a wide range of legislation and developing access-to-justice strategies to serve diverse Canadian communities. Arif’s work also included leading meaningful engagement with Indigenous leaders and communities through consultations and the co-development of public policy. Prior to his Ministerial appointment, Arif served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the federal Ministers of International Trade, Justice, Democratic Institutions, Heritage and Immigration. His parliamentary career included three consecutive mandates as the Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park in the House of Commons. Earlier in his career, Arif was Crown Counsel for the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in the Constitutional Law Branch. He has been involved in first instance and appellate litigation involving constitutional and human rights law at every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Arif also served as a war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and trained as a Fox Scholar at the Middle Temple, London, U.K.. He began his legal career in private practice as a commercial, civil and public law litigator. Arif is a frequent public speaker and is the recipient of several awards for legal excellence. Most recently, in September 2025 he was named one of Canada’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. In 2026 he will return to his alma mater, the U. of T. Faculty of Law, to teach an intensive course on Constitutional Law and the role of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He speaks English, French and some Hindi, and in his free time enjoys travelling, shooting baskets with his kids, tennis, sports documentaries and trivia.