News from the Human Rights Research and Education Centre
The Faculty of Law (Common Law and Civil Law Sections) and the Faculty of Social Sciences are pleased to announce some updates with respect to the Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC).
Prof. Joanne St. Lewis’ tenure as Director of HRREC will end on June 30, 2009. During her time in this role, she completed extensive outreach work which strengthened 
connections between the HRREC and the Office of the Vice-President Research as well as with the institutes of Population Health, Women’s Studies and the Environment. She also made other important connections within the University throughout the past year, as well as externally. Prof. St. Lewis’ noteworthy service to the University is highly commendable.
Prof. Lucie Lamarache, Gordon F. Henderson Chair, has been appointed as new director of the HRREC for a term of 5 years, effective July 1, 2009. Sonya Nigam, who served as Executive Director in 2008-09, will remain in this role.
Additionally, a Constitution Committee has been appointed to define the governance structure and positions within the HRREC and basic accountability processes including membership. This Committee includes Ruby Heap and Luc Gauthier (Office of the Vice-President Research), Peter Oliver and Daphne Gilbert (Common Law), Marie Pratte and Pierre Thibault (Civil law), François Rocher (Social Sciences), and Lucie Lamarche and Sonya Nigam (HRREC). These appointments follow key recommendations made by Prof. Roderick Macdonald (McGill University) in his independent assessment of the governance structure and mandate of the Centre of May 1, 2009.
Founded in 1981, the HRREC was the first of its kind to be established in Canada. Today, it remains an important vehicle for the development and leadership of human rights research and education, boasting an admirable reputation both domestically and internationally.