Arif Virani

Arif has a distinguished record of legal excellence and leadership, working with clients as a strategic advisor and advocate on critical legal and policy matters.

Arif is the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Advising governments, organizations, businesses and Indigenous leaders, Arif brings a wealth of experience and perspective to his counsel to clients.

Arif is a highly skilled lawyer and consensus builder with an extensive track record of government leadership—from policymaking in advancing Canada’s justice system to the co-development of public policy with Indigenous leaders and communities. Arif’s range of legal and policy experience is exceptionally broad, demonstrated by Parliamentary Secretary appointments to the Departments of International Trade, Justice, Democratic Institutions, Heritage and Immigration, as well as by his work prior to public office as a litigator for the Ontario government and in private practice.

In 2023-24, Arif successfully advanced legislation through the House of Commons and Senate to support the Canadian justice system: S-12 (Sex Offender Registry); C-40 (Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission); C-48 (Bail Reform); C-62 (Medical Assistance in Dying); C-69 (Auto Theft); S-13 (Upholding Aboriginal and treaty rights under s.35); C-70 (Foreign Interference).

In 2023-25, Arif collaborated with Indigenous leaders across Canada in developing and ensuring the release of Canada’s Indigenous Justice Strategy; he served as lead Minister at numerous bilateral tables with Inuit, First Nations and Métis leaders and held lead responsibility for implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan across twenty-five federal departments.

In 2025, Arif finalized and released Canada’s first Black Justice Strategy targeting overrepresentation in the justice system in conjunction with an expert steering group.