The BC-based South Asian Society Against Discrimination (SASAD) is supporting suports a public call by lawyer and anti-racism advocate Joven Narwal for the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) to review and address systemic biases and racism within its processes.
At the recent “Hands Against Racism Awards” ceremony at the Surrey Arts Centre, Narwal and Chief Stewart Phillip were the 2024 recipients of this prestigious award. Past recipients include former Premier John Horgan and Attorney General Niki Sharma.
In his acceptance speech, Narwal brought up concerns regarding the practices of the BCSC. Narwal told the audience he had sent a letter to the commission on March 22nd in which he expressed concerns of “notably higher incidences of scrutiny of companies that have a discernable number of racialized directors, officers, or shareholders, particularly of Asian and South Asian descent.”
He said such selective enforcement has a chilling effect on their participation in capital markets. Narwal urged the commission to take action to eliminate systemic barriers. “I informed the commission that failure to take action would result in many racialized British Columbians electing not to fully participate in the capital markets, including as public company directors and officers. The systemic barriers are already having this effect.”
In a social media post in support of Mr. Narwal, former retired lawyer Brenda Benham, stated: “As a retired lawyer who worked at the BCSC for many years, I am horrified by the differences in citations for racialized directors, officers etc. Keep up the great work you are doing in pushing us to dismantle systemic racism, wherever it may appear.”
Narwal has been an advocate in fighting racism in BC for years. Joven Narwal, K.C. leads Narwal Litigation LLP, and is a leading trial and appellate lawyer. He was recently appointed King’s Counsel by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Attorney General of British Columbia for exceptional merit and contributions to the legal profession in British Columbia.
Narwal is also an adjunct professor at the UBC Allard School of Law, where he created and teaches two upper-level seminars on complex criminal litigation.
Narwal has also held several leadership positions in the legal profession. He served as the first visible minority president of the Vancouver Bar Association in its 126+ year history and has held several other leadership positions including Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, governor and executive of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia and director of the South Asian Bar Association of British Columbia.
