Ayman Bdewi

Ayman Bdewi is an Associate Counsel at the Law Society of Ontario. He graduated from Sussex with a Human Rights MA in 2014.

I met like-minded students and academics from all over the world who shared my passion for human rights.” Ayman Bdewi

What fuelled your passion for Law, and encouraged you to undertake your course at Sussex?

I was born and raised in Syria, and my mother stayed home to care for my siblings and I while we were young. As we got older, my mother decided that she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. While raising four young children, my mother returned to school, completed her high school diploma and then went on to study Law at the University of Beirut in Lebanon and later opened her own law firm in Damascus, Syria. Growing up, I recognized her passion to fight for justice and her desire to ensure that the most vulnerable persons could access justice.

My mother’s experience fundamentally paved the way for my sister and I to both take an interest and pursue studies in Law. After I completed my law degree, for seven years I worked as an adjudicator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria, where I supported refugees and other vulnerable populations - who were fleeing persecution - to seek refugee protection. It was at UNHCR that I found my passion for human rights and refugee law.

How did your experience at Sussex enhance your passion?

I deeply enjoyed my experience at Sussex. I met like-minded students and academics from all over the world who shared my passion for human rights. My professors were so knowledgeable and truly inspirational. I also gained a theoretical background in field of human rights, which enhanced my practical work experience.

What did you do directly after graduating? What do you do right now? What plans do you have for the future?

After graduations, the security conditions in my home country, Syria, worsened and it became impossible for me to return. I decided to move to Canada. I was determined to continue to practice law, so I became accredited to practice law in Canada, and I was called to the Canadian Law Bar in 2018. I currently work for the Law Society of Ontario (Toronto) as Associate Disciplinary Counsel.