Senator Mobina Jaffer

Appointed to the Senate June 13, 2001, by the Rt. Honourable Jean Chrétien, Senator Mobina Jaffer represents the province of British Columbia and the Senatorial Division of British Columbia.

Senator Jaffer served as Canada’s Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan from 2002- 2006 and as the Chair of the Canadian Committee on Women Peace and Security from 2002 – 2005. In addition, Senator Jaffer sits on various Senate committees.

An accomplished lawyer, Senator Jaffer has practiced law at the firm Dohm, Jaffer and Jeraj since 1978. Made a Queen’s Counsel in 1998, Senator Jaffer has a distinguished record of service to the legal profession. Since 1997, she has been Vice-Chair of the Canadian Membership Committee for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Since 1994, she has been working with the Immigration and Refugee Board on gender and race issues, and since 1993 she has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Trial Lawyers of British Columbia. In 1994-95, Senator Jaffer served as a Member of the Canadian Bar Association Multicultural Committee; from 1995 to 1999 she was a Member of the Peoples Law School Committee, and from 1992-96 she was a Member of the Law Society Multicultural Committee.

Within the community Senator Jaffer is a supporter of a vast array of local community-based organizations, having been involved with the YWCA of Canada, the Aga Khan National Conciliation and Arbitration Board, and more recently as the honorary patron of St. James Foundation, the Mainstream Association for Proactive Community Living, and the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies and Research. Senator Jaffer firmly believes that it takes the concerted efforts of a community to achieve anything and is therefore deeply involved in the community

Senator Jaffer has been an active member of the Liberal Party including roles as the Chair of the International Network of Liberal Women in 2000 and as President of the National Liberal Women’s Commission in 1998. She also served as a board member of Liberal International in 1996 and as the Vice President of the English Liberal Party of Canada from 1994-1998.

Senator Jaffer has won numerous distinctions including being One of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2005. In 2003 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Open Learning University. In February of 2001 she won the Influential Women in Business Award of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada. In 1995, the Trial Lawyers of British Columbia recognized her efforts with the award for Outstanding Service to the Legal Profession. In 1993, she won a YWCA Women of Distinction Award and received the Justice Achievement Award from the Law Courts Education Society of British Columbia. In 1992, she was awarded a Canada 125 Medal for her work on equality issues, and in 1991, she won the Dr. William Black Award of the Vancouver Multicultural Society for her work in reducing racial discrimination.

Earning an LL.B from London University in London, England in 1972, Senator Jaffer has also completed the Executive Development Program at Simon Fraser University.

Born in Uganda on August 20, 1949, she speaks six languages and is married with two adult children.