Arif Virani | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Virani in 2024 | |
| Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada | |
| In office July 26, 2023 – March 14, 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | David Lametti |
| Succeeded by | Gary Anandasangaree |
| Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada | |
| In office August 31, 2018 – July 26, 2023 | |
| Minister | Jody Wilson-Raybould David Lametti |
| Preceded by | Marco Mendicino |
| Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Canadian Heritage (Multiculturalism) | |
| In office January 28, 2017 – August 30, 2018 | |
| Minister | Mélanie Joly |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Gary Anandasangaree |
| Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship | |
| In office December 2, 2015 – January 27, 2017 | |
| Minister | John McCallum |
| Preceded by | Costas Menegakis |
| Succeeded by | Serge Cormier |
| Member of Parliament forParkdale—High Park | |
| In office October 19, 2015 – March 23, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Peggy Nash |
| Succeeded by | Karim Bardeesy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1971-11-23)November 23, 1971 (age 54) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Suchita Jain |
| Residence(s) | Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | McGill University (BA) University of Toronto Faculty of Law (LLB) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Arif Virani (born November 23, 1971) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as theminister of justice and attorney general of Canada from 2023 to 2025. A member of theLiberal Party, Virani representedParkdale—High Park in theHouse of Commons from 2015 to 2025.
Prior to his appointment as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, he held a number ofparliamentary secretary portfolios, including to theminister of immigration, refugees and citizenship from 2015 to 2017, and to theminister of Canadian heritage (multiculturalism) from 2017 to 2018, to theminister of justice and attorney general from 2018 to 2021, and to theminister of international trade, export promotion, small business and economic development from 2021 to 2023. On February 10, 2025, Virani announced he would not be running for re-election during the2025 Canadian federal election.[1]
Virani's roots are inAhmedabad,Gujarat, India although he was born inKampala.[2] Virani is a multilingualIsmailiMuslim who came to Canada as a refugee fromUganda after theexpulsion of Indians from that country.[3] Upon arriving in Canada in 1972, his family was taken in by theYMCA inMontreal.[4] His family then became more permanently established inToronto.[3] Virani spent his childhood growing up in theFlemingdon Park andWillowdale neighbourhoods.[4]
Virani graduated as a joint honoursBachelor of Arts inpolitical science andhistory fromMcGill University in 1994.[5] He then graduated from theUniversity of Toronto Faculty of Law.[6] Virani remained connected to the University of Toronto Faculty of Law following his graduation by remaining involved with its alumni committee.[7]
Virani began his legal career by articling forFasken Martineau DuMoulin in 1999.[5] Following this, he worked inLondon, United Kingdom for a year with the support of theHarold G. Fox scholarship.[5] This scholarship for recent graduates of the Bar Admission Course allows for a pupilage with leading barristers at theInns of Court in London.[8][9]
In 2003, he went on to work as a lawyer for the constitutional law branch of theOntario Ministry of the Attorney General.[5][10] During his time with the Ontario constitutional law branch, he appeared in one case at theSupreme Court of Canada.[11]
Virani did not practise law when he was an MP.[12] He remained an L1 class licensed lawyer according to theLaw Society of Ontario,[12] and continued to be "entitled to practise law in Ontario as a barrister and solicitor".[13]
After retiring from politics, Virani was hired byTorys LLP as a senior legal counsel, working in litigation and dispute resolution.[14]
Virani lives inRoncesvalles Village in Toronto with his wife Suchita Jain, originally fromLondon, Ontario, and their two sons.[3][15]
| 2021 Canadian federal election:Parkdale—High Park | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Arif Virani | 22,307 | 42.45 | -4.94 | $104,400.40 | |||
| New Democratic | Paul M. Taylor | 20,602 | 39.21 | +7.71 | $106,004.63 | |||
| Conservative | Nestor Sanajko | 6,815 | 12.97 | -0.19 | $9,183.25 | |||
| People's | Wilfried Richard Alexander Danzinger | 1,642 | 3.13 | +2.07 | $724.84 | |||
| Green | Diem Marchand-Lafortune | 957 | 1.82 | -4.61 | $3,873.90 | |||
| Marijuana | Terry Parker | 130 | 0.25 | +0.05 | $0.00 | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Lorne Gershuny | 90 | 0.17 | +0.10 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 52,543 | – | – | $110,699.74 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 52,543 | 65.46 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 80,265 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -6.33 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[16] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Parkdale—High Park | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Arif Virani | 28,852 | 47.4 | +5.36 | $104,265.06 | |||
| New Democratic | Paul M. Taylor | 19,180 | 31.5 | -8.74 | $100,698.11 | |||
| Conservative | Adam Pham | 8,015 | 13.2 | +0.15 | $44,890.73 | |||
| Green | Nick Capra | 3,916 | 6.4 | +3.42 | $14,108.37 | |||
| People's | Greg Wycliffe | 643 | 1.1 | - | none listed | |||
| Communist | Alykhan Pabani | 119 | 0.2 | - | $626.57 | |||
| Marijuana | Terry Parker | 119 | 0.2 | -0.13 | none listed | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Lorne Gershuny | 43 | 0.07 | -0.1 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 60,887 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 382 | |||||||
| Turnout | 61,269 | 74.0 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 82,797 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +7.05 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[17][18] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election:Parkdale—High Park | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Arif Virani | 24,623 | 42.04% | +9.15 | – | |||
| New Democratic | Peggy Nash | 23,566 | 40.24% | -6.96 | – | |||
| Conservative | Ian Allen | 7,641 | 13.05% | -2.5 | – | |||
| Green | Adam Phipps | 1,743 | 2.98% | -0.29 | – | |||
| Libertarian | Mark Jeftovic | 610 | 1.04% | – | – | |||
| Marijuana | Terry Parker | 191 | 0.33% | -0.09 | – | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Lorne Gershuny | 100 | 0.17% | +/-0.00 | – | |||
| Independent | Carol Royer | 93 | 0.16% | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 58,567 | 100.0 | $210,593.15 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 269 | – | – | – | ||||
| Turnout | 58,836 | – | – | – | ||||
| Eligible voters | 76,952 | – | – | – | ||||
| Source:Elections Canada[19][20] | ||||||||
| 29th Canadian Ministry (2015-2025) – Cabinet ofJustin Trudeau | ||
| Cabinet post (1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| David Lametti | Minister of Justice July 26, 2023 – March 14, 2025 | Gary Anandasangaree |