Arooba Shakeel is a partner at Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh, where she practices criminal and constitutional law. She has appeared as co-counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada in the landmark constitutional case of Ontario (Attorney General) v. G, where provisions of Ontario’s sex offender registry that infringed her client’s legal rights were declared unconstitutional and of no force and effect. She has also successfully represented clients before the Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice.
Arooba has extensive trial experience, representing clients in both judge-alone and jury trials involving serious criminal offences including first-degree murder, criminal organization offences, sexual assault, assault, robbery, firearm offences and drug prosecutions. She has achieved successful outcomes for clients across a broad range of criminal matters. In addition to her trial practice, Arooba represents clients in SOIRA termination applications and s. 161 variation hearings.
Prior to practising criminal law, Arooba represented plaintiffs in police brutality cases, human rights disputes and professional liability matters. This experience informs her approach to criminal defence, where she combines rigorous advocacy with a deep understanding of the significant imbalance between individuals facing criminal charges and the resources available to the state.
Arooba is committed to providing thoughtful, strategic and effective representation to every client. She approaches her cases with empathy and compassion while advocating fearlessly for her clients both in and out of court.
Arooba received her Juris Doctor from Western University and her Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo, where she focused on Legal Studies and Sociology, with a specialization in Criminology.
Call to the Bar
- Ontario 2019
