The Honorable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, today announced that Carey Majid has been appointed Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission and Lois Skanes, Q.C., has been appointed Chair of the Human Rights Commission.

"I am pleased to welcome Ms. Majid and Ms. Skanes to the Human Rights Commission," said Minister Kennedy. "Both individuals have considerable professional and personal experiences which will be invaluable in their new roles with the Human Rights Commission."

Prior to accepting the position of Executive Director, Ms. Majid articled in Ontario and worked in private practice in Newfoundland and Labrador. A graduate of the University of Waterloo in 1994 and the University of New Brunswick Law School in 1999, Ms. Majid was called to the Ontario Bar in February of 2001 and the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in October of 2001.

Ms. Skanes graduated from Memorial University in 1981, the University of Saskatchewan Law School in 1984 and was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 1985. Ms. Skanes has worked as solicitor for the City of St. John�s, in private practice and has extensive involvement with community organizations.

In order to ensure the timely resolution of human rights matters in Newfoundland and Labrador, Budget 2008 allocated an additional $350,000 for the Human Rights Commission to retain new personnel, including a human rights specialist and three lawyers. "The Human Rights Commission is an extremely important body within our province and its activities must be carried out as expeditiously as possible," said Minister Kennedy. "I thank both Ms. Majid and Ms. Skanes for accepting these positions and I look forward to working with them in the future."

Established in 1971, the Human Rights Commission is mandated to promote an understanding and acceptance of, as well as compliance with, the Human Rights Code. The commission is mandated to protect individuals from discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity.

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