The Honourable Andrew J. Brouwer

Justice Andrew J. Brouwer was born and raised in Scarborough and is a child of Dutch immigrants. He earned a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Toronto and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2004.

Justice Brouwer worked in social justice before studying law. He articled in labour law and then launched a refugee and immigration practice with Jackman & Associates. In 2011, he joined Legal Aid Ontario’s Refugee Law Office, serving low-income migrants with complex refugee and immigration matters and leading the organization’s test case and law reform work. A Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law, he litigated before the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Courts, the Supreme Court of Canada, and international treaty bodies.

Justice Brouwer has written and spoken widely on refugee and immigration law and human rights and has held leadership positions with the Canadian Council for Refugees, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and Romero House for Refugees. He served on advisory committees with the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court, and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and collaborated with the University of Toronto International Human Rights Program, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on issues including asylum access, statelessness, detention, and human rights

Justice Brouwer is an avid cyclist, kayaker, and jazz aficionado. He draws inspiration and support from his community of friends, colleagues, and family, including his amazing daughter, his partner and her daughter, his siblings and their families, and his late parents.

Appointed Judge of the Federal Court, and ex officio member of the Federal Court of Appeal, on March 7, 2025.