Minister of Justice Announces Two Appointments to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

OTTAWA, September 18, 2006 – The Honourable Vic Toews, Q.C., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced two appointments to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal – Ms. Kerry-Lynne Findlay of Vancouver and Mr. Matthew Garfield of Toronto.

Ms. Findlay is a partner in the law firm of Watson Goepel Maledy. She has been called to the Bar in British Columbia, and her practice focuses on matters of civil litigation. She has been Chair of the National Constitutional Law section of the Canadian Bar Association and is currently Chair of the National Women Lawyers Forum.

Mr. Garfield is a Chartered Mediator and Chartered Arbitrator. He has been called to the Bar in both Ontario and Nova Scotia. He currently carries on an arbitration practice in Toronto. From 2000 to 2004, he was Chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Prior to that, from 1998 to 2000, he was Vice-Chair of the Board of Inquiry (Human Rights).

The CHRT inquires into complaints of discrimination to decide if what is alleged to have occurred is a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Its main goal is to ensure that the Act is interpreted and applied fairly and impartially at all its hearings.

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Ref.:

Mike Storeshaw
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
613-992-4621