Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Mark Persaud

Mark Mahindra Persaud is a Canadian lawyer and civic leader. He is a former federal prosecutor.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
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953 w
Citations
24
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Mark M. Persaud
Born
Guyana
OccupationLawyer
EmployerPersaud Law Group Professional Corporation

Mark Mahindra Persaud is a Canadian lawyer and civic leader. He is a former federal prosecutor.1

Childhood

Persaud was born in British Guiana (now Guyana). He challenged the government of Guyana, and as a result of his political activities and a fear of reprisals, Persaud's family sent him to Canada where he lived as a homeless man in Toronto. He was rescued by the Scott Mission, a Christian outreach organization. Thereafter he volunteered at charitable organizations as he was legally unable to work.23

Education

Persaud attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and graduated in 1991.4 In June, 2016 he received an honorary Doctor of Laws LL.D. from the Law Society of Upper Canada.5

Persaud worked as a federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice where he practiced in various roles, including a secondment to the RCMP's Integrated Proceeds of Crime.6 During his time at the Department of Justice, Persaud 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.7

From 2003 to 2010, Persaud did not practice law. He returned to the non governmental sector. In 2010, he joined the firm Steinberg Title Hope & Israel LLP as litigation counsel. In 2011, Persaud started his own law firm, Persaud Law Group Professional Corporation.8

Law Society troubles

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.9

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.10

Politics

Persaud was a member of the national Liberal executive11 and served as an Advisor to a Federal Cabinet Minister.12 As a result of internal disagreements he left the Liberal Party of Canada and publicly supported the Conservative Party of Canada13.

Awards and recognitions

in 2009, Persaud was nominated as a finalist in Canadian Immigrant Magazine's Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2009 award. Persaud was reportedly "flattered" to be considered as one of "Canada's top immigrants".14

Persaud received the Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Public Sector Gold Key Award for Public Law in 2007.15

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.16

In June 2016, the Law Society of Ontario Canada conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa (LLD).5

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.1718

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.19

In 2020, he was appointed the inaugural Chair of the Justice Committee of the Black North Initiative.20

Community leader

Persaud has assisted refugees and other vulnerable and disadvantaged persons.21 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.22 Persaud also led the multi-faith international Afghan Project and the Canadian Jewish-Somali Mentorship Project.23

He is the Founding President of the Canadian Guyanese Congress and the Founder of the World Guyanese Congress - see url-https://www.wgc-org.com.

References

References

  1. "Lawyer tells Senate he was driven out". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  2. "Navigating challenges faced by minorities and women in the legal profession – NSRLP". 9 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  3. "Mark Persaud's focus on fairness & community". premium.canadianlawyermag.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  4. "Mark Persaud's focus on fairness & community". premium.canadianlawyermag.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  5. "Honorary LLD | Law Society of Ontario".
  6. "Mark Persaud's focus on fairness & community". premium.canadianlawyermag.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  7. "Lawyer tells Senate he was driven out". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  8. "Mark Persaud's focus on fairness & community". premium.canadianlawyermag.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  9. "Persaud, 25H-127 NOA". Law Society Tribunal. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  10. "Persaud, 26H-052 NOA". Law Society Tribunal. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  11. "Lawyer tells Senate he was driven out". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  12. "Mark Persaud". www.taaproject.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  13. Woods, Allan (2007-01-12). "The second defection of a former high-ranking Liberal to the Conservative party in less than a week illustrates that the Tories are winning over ethnic voters across Canada, and particularly in the Toronto area, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  14. Guardian, Etobicoke (2009-03-17). "North York resident finalist for top immigrant award". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  15. "Alumni Gold Key Recipients". Osgoode Hall Law School. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  16. "Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History | The Law Society of Upper Canada". www.lsuc.on.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  17. "Mark Persaud rocked Justice Canada with his allegations of systemic racism". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  18. Naumetz, Tim. "Lawyer tells Senate he was driven out". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  19. "Lawyer tells Senate he was driven out". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  20. "Home". BlackNorth Initiative.
  21. "'It sucked the soul out of me'". Ottawa Citizen. March 9, 2008.
  22. Paul Lungen (30 April 2009). "CIPP leader honoured for humanitarian work - The Canadian Jewish News". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  23. "Mark Persaud | Canadian Lawyer".
External links

www.markpersaud.com