KO BHAMRA, B.A.(Hons.) (Windsor), M.A. (Windsor), LL.B.(Windsor), was called to the Ontario Bar in 2002.
Her practice is restricted exclusively to criminal law and maintains a special focus on youth criminal justice. She has defended all types of charges ranging from theft to murder.
She has appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal. She has also appeared before the Ontario Review Board. As part of her practice, she regularly appears before London’s Youth Therapeutic Court, Adult Therapeutic Court and Gladue Court.
Ms. Bhamra is a past London Criminal Lawyer’s Association representative on the Youth Justice Advisory Committee of Middlesex County (2009-2019). She has served as a Regional Coordinator of the Ontario Bar Association’s Child and Youth Law Section. She has conducted numerous hearings under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and has been consulted internationally on the intersection of youth criminal justice procedures.
She regularly attends conferences and workshops as a panelist, presenter and guest speaker. Past engagements include the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts conference (London), First Nations Post Secondary Youth in Transition Awareness and Prevention Workshop at the N’Amerind Friendship Centre (London) and Western University where she was invited to give a lecture in the Children’s Law Course on youth justice. Currently, she is the Chair of the Women’s Mentorship Group in Criminal Law in London where she organizes and presents various workshops designed to advance the role of women in criminal law including equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
She is a volunteer with the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), a charitable organization that facilitates opportunities to understand the justice system through unique opportunities and education programs. She has assisted with the delivery of special course sections on The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and criminal law procedure. She continues to provide mentorship opportunities to students aspiring to learn about the criminal justice system.
In 2017 and again in 2019, as a Nominee of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Ontario she was appointed as a member of the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario – West and South.
She is a volunteer with The Kidney Foundation of Canada, London and District Chapter and a Director of the London Chapter’s Board of Directors.
She is a member, in good standing, of the Law Society of Ontario (formerly Law Society of Upper Canada), the London Criminal Lawyers Association, the Middlesex Law Association and The Advocates Society.