Ayesha Kumararatne
Ayesha founded Kumararatne Law in 2014 specializing in immigration and criminal law and their intersection. In 2022, the firm will be expanding to provide services in the area of family and child protection law.
Ayesha has represented a wide a range of clients, including diplomats, national and international athletes, small and big businesses, religious institutions, political activists, individuals fleeing persecution and every day families and individuals.
She regularly provides advice on a wide range of issues including immigration consequences for criminally-accused persons, making refugee claims in Canada and every day permanent residence applications. Ayesha also represents individuals facing prosecution under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (“IRPA”) or the Customs Act.
Ayesha is passionate about defending the status and rights of vulnerable persons and long-term residents of Canada. She is particularly vigorous in defending persons in detention on immigration holds, refugee claimants, and persons suffering from mental health issues who are at risk of losing their status or being removed from Canada. Ayesha strongly believes in advocacy that goes beyond her individual cases. As a result, outside of work, Ayesha is a regular speaker at various law conferences. She also frequently speaks at the University of Ottawa’s law school on issues ranging from access to justice to mentorship of young lawyers and law students.
Speaking engagements:
DCAO Annual Criminal Law Conference, Immigration Primer for Criminal Defence Lawyers (2015)
Criminal Lawyers Association Annual Women in Criminal Law Conference, Running your own practice (2017)
Testified before the Senate of Canada on Bill C-45 (Cannabis bill) and provided comments on Bill C-46 on the impact of these bills on permanent residents and foreign nationals (2018)
Ottawa Immigration Law Conference: Ethics panel (2018), Criminality - New Laws, New Strategies (2019), Immigration and Refugee Law Practice During COVID-19 (2020)
Panelist at the 2021 Law Society of Ontario’s "Annual Immigration Law Summit” on the topic of the Intersection of Criminal and Immigration law
In 2021, as an executive member of the Ontario Bar Associatom (Immigration Section & the Young Lawyers Divisio - East), co-chaired the Immigration Law Primer and Imposter Syndrome programs
Professional memberships and affiliations:
Law Society of Ontario, licensed member of the Bar
Canadian Bar Association/ Ontario Bar Association, member
DCAO (Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa), member
CARL (Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers), member
RLA (Refugee Lawyers' Association), member
COURTNEY SHIELDS, Associate
Courtney is an Associate lawyer practising in the areas of immigration and criminal law at Kumararatne Law. Beginning in 2022, Courtney will also begin representing clients at Kumararatne Law in the areas of family and child protection law. Courtney joined the firm as a SPI student in 2016. She continued with the firm to complete her 2017 summer and articling term.
Through her time with the firm she had the opportunity to assist with various matters in immigration and criminal law, including, refugee claims and appeals, requests for deferral of removal, H&C applications, spousal sponsorships and matters with persons charged with impaired driving and assaults. She has also worked on numerous family and child protection files and proceedings in her first two years of practice with another firm.
Courtney received her J.D. from the University of Ottawa in 2018. While attending law school, sheworked in the criminal division at the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic. She also volunteered as a peer mentor with the Women’s Legal Mentorship Program and The Ontario Justice Education Network where she attended grade 6 classrooms and ran a mock trial.
Courtney is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Defense Counsel Association of Ottawa and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.