Mark Persaud

Persaud was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) in South America where he grew up and attended high school. He was active in politics as a student and eventually departed to Canada alone as a youth as a result of civil and political unrest in his country of birth. He started life in Canada as a homeless youth on the streets of Toronto in winter from where he was rescued by the Scott Mission, a Christian outreach organization. == Education ==

Persaud studied political science at York University and received both his law degrees ( LL.B. 1991, LL.M. 2001 ) from Osgoode Hall Law School. He also studied at the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life at Harvard University. In June, 2016 he received an honorary Doctor of Laws LL.D. from the Law Society of Upper Canada. He has taught as an adjunct law professor in the United States as well as being a guest lecturer, speaker and media commentator. He continues to be actively involved in mentoring students and young professionals. == Legal career ==

Persaud worked as a federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice where he claims he was treated like an articling student and given menial work. He asserts that discrimination prevented him from being promoted. He quit the Department of Justice in 2003 over allegations of racism. He subsequently worked in a private law firm in Toronto where he practiced in both civil, criminal and regulatory law before starting the Persaud Law Group Professional Corporation in 2011. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Canadian Lawyer and the Chair of the Justice Committee of the Black North Initiative (BNI). In 2025, the Law Society of Ontario commenced a prosecution against Persaud for breach of the Rules of Professional Conduct for, amongst other things, failing to perform services in a diligent and effective manner, and for failing to respond and to cooperate with the Law Society of Ontario in its investigations. In 2026, the Law Society of Ontario commenced a second prosecution against Persaud for his failure to communicate with a former employee and with opposing counsel and employees and judges of the Superior Court of Ontario in a civil manner, contrary to the Rules of Professional Conduct. == Politics ==

Persaud was a member of the national Liberal executive and served as an Advisor to a Federal Cabinet Minister. As a result of internal disagreements with senior staff to Prime Minister Paul Martin regarding the unequal treatment of minorities in the party he left the Liberal Party of Canada and publicly supported the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2008 election. == Awards and recognitions ==

Three years after arriving in Canada, he was nominated and short listed for the Toronto Man of the Year Award in the Toronto Star newspaper for his work with refugees. Other achievements include the 2007 Alumni Public Sector Law Gold Key award from Osgoode Hall Law School, both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Queen Diamond Jubilee medals as well as the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award for leadership and service to Canada. He also was awarded a Canada 150 Anniversary Medal in recognition of his many contributions. Persaud received the Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Public Sector Gold Key Award for Public Law in 2007. He was nominated by the diplomatic community for the 2006 Seoul Peace Prize and recognized by The Law Society of Ontario as an exceptional lawyer (1941–present) as part of their Lawyers Make History Project. In June 2016 the Law Society of Ontario Canada conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa (LLD) in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments and achievements. == Human rights ==

Persaud publicly alleged racism and discrimination at the Department of Justice when he was invited to testify before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. Persaud was a volunteer architect of the Canadian International Peace Project, an organization which attempted to rebuild mosques in Afghanistan after the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Persaud claims his involvement with this organization caused him ill treatment by the Department of Justice. In 2020, he was appointed the inaugural Chair of the Justice Committee of the Black North Initiative. == Social entrepreneur and community leader ==

Persaud has assisted refugees and other vulnerable and disadvantaged persons. He is the Founder and former President of the Canadian International Peace Project (CIPP), an organization that promotes inter-community goodwill through building relationships between diverse national, ethnic, religious, and community organizations. Persaud also led the multi-faith international Afghan Project and the Canadian Jewish-Somali Mentorship Project. He is the Founding President of the Canadian Guyanese Congress and the Founder of the World Guyanese Congress. url-https://www.wgc-org.com == References ==