National Restorative Justice Symposium 2016

Bios

 

Scott Harris

Scott Harrisis the Regional Deputy Commissioner of the Atlantic Region. After working in the non-governmental sector, he joined CSC in 1995 and has held various positions including Correctional Officer, Case Management Officer, Parole Officer, Project Officer, Director of Restorative Justice, Director General, Citizen Engagement, Associate Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations and Programs and Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement.

Scott has completed studies at Queens Theological College to obtain his M.Div with a concentration in Restorative Justice. In addition, he served briefly as the Director of the Restorative Justice Program at Queen's University. At the core of his work has been the engagement of the public in contributing to the correctional endeavour. This includes outreach, consultation, stakeholder relations, volunteers, Citizen Advisory Committees and victims of crime. He has worked for more than two decades in the field of restorative justice.

In recent years, Scott has remained active in promoting restorative justice in Canada - serving as Co-Chair of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Restorative Justice. He has also been active in driving new models for communication with an emphasis on the move to digital-by-default methods, including the promotion of social media tools to achieve corporate results. In addition, his interest in behavioural insights has led to the establishment of a gamification community of practice for the federal Public Service.

Brenda Morrison

Brenda Morrison is the Director of the Centre for Restorative Justice and an Associate Professor in the School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University.   She is a social psychologist with field experience in outdoor education, government administration and justice.  She has developed a range of restorative justice courses within the School of Criminology, Faculty of Education, Graduate Studies and the Restorative Justice Certificate Program through Continuing Education.

Internationally, she has presented papers at the House of Lords and UNESCO.

Nationally, she is a research partner with PREVNet (Promoting Relationships Eliminating Violence Network) and a reconciliation ambassador for Reconciliation Canada.  She serves on the Board of Smart Justice Canada.  She has served on justice reform committees for the Federal Ministry of Justice.

In British Columbia, she has served on the Ministry of Justice Performance Review Committee and the working group for a Justice System for the 21st Century.

In her home community, she is an active board member for the North Shore Restorative Justice Society.

Judge Barry D. Stuart, BA, LLB, LLM LLD [Hon]

Barry pioneered Peacemaking Circles in several countries for a wide range of multi-party public and private matters. He has extensive experience with First Nations in developing self governing structures, child protection and justice process. He  served as Chief Judge, Chief Yukon Treaty Negotiator,and counsel for Yukon in Constitutional  Conferences.

He has worked internationally in several countries on Justice , environmental, and a variety of governance issues. He worked on National and Provincial constitutions in establishing Papua New Guinea’s independence.

Written, lectured and conducted training sessions on designing conflict and collaborative decision-making processes. His focus has been on constructively engaging the energy in conflict by creating safe, productive environments for participants to generate sustainable relationships and outcomes through collaborative  processes.

Manon Buck

Manon Buck works with the Restorative Justice and Victims Services Division of the Correctional Service of Canada, raising awareness about restorative justice on a national scale, supporting community partners in the application of restorative practices, and contributing to guidelines, policies, procedures, and practices using a restorative lens. Formerly, Manon worked as a Conflict Resolution Advisor for Canada Revenue Agency where she coached and mediated employees in conflict.

Manon has also volunteered with YOUCAN, promoting and facilitating non-violent conflict resolution in schools and communities, and with the Collaborative Justice Program, facilitating restorative justice processes at the Ottawa Provincial Courthouse. Moreover, Manon was a member of the Steering Committee that launched the Canadian Restorative Justice Consortium and has been an active member of the Ottawa Restorative Justice Network and the planning committee for the National Restorative Justice Symposium since 2009.

Steve Sullivan

Steve Sullivan has been advocating for crime victims and survivors for over 20 years. He served as the first Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime from 2007 to 2010. He is currently the Victim Service Director (Ontario) for MADD Canada and a Part-Time Professor at Algonquin College in the Victimology Graduate Certificate Program. He was also the former Executive Director of Ottawa Victim Services and President of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime.

He has testified before numerous Parliamentary Committees on victims' rights, justice reform and public safety issues and has conducted training for provincial and federal victim services.

Danny Graham

Danny Graham is a former defence lawyer, government advisor and political leader. He was the Chief Negotiator for the Province of Nova Scotia in comprehensive aboriginal rights negotiations.

In the 1990s he led the initiative to establish the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Program. He was later a special advisor to the federal government on matters of youth justice, restorative justice and anti-terrorism.

He has worked on matters of criminal justice reform with United Nations and the governments of Thailand, Jamaica and Ukraine. He is a past Member of the Nova Scotia Legislature and Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

He is currently a member of the Smart Justice Network - a group of former senior justice officials who are exploring ways for Canadians to re-imagine a criminal justice system that better addresses the harm done to victims; that better reduces the risk of crime; and that builds healthier communities. He is the Chief Engagement Officer for Engage Nova Scotia and a Special Advisor to the law firm, McInnes Cooper.

Hugh Kirkegaard

Hugh is Regional Chaplain for the Atlantic Region of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Previously he served as Regional Chaplain for Ontario and Nunavut for eight years and as the National Chaplaincy Co-ordinator for Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) for released offenders. When he served as Community Chaplain in Toronto he was actively involved with the founding of CoSA.

An ordained Baptist minister, Hugh is affiliated with First Baptist Church Halifax. He has been involved in correctional chaplaincy since 1978, where he became acquainted with restorative justice through the victim offender mediation lens. He served as a prison chaplain in Dorchester, Springhill, Atlantic and Westmorland Institutions and as University Chaplain at Mount Allison. Educated at Mount Allison, Regent College (UBC), and Acadia Divinity College, Hugh also taught in the Restorative Justice Program at Queen’s Theological College in Kingston, Ontario and in Durban, South Africa.

Jennifer Llewellyn

Jennifer Llewellyn is the Viscount Bennett Professor of Law at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Her teaching and research is focused in the areas of relational theory, restorative justice, truth commissions, international and domestic human rights law and Canadian constitutional law. She has written and published extensively on the theory and practice of a restorative approach in both transitional contexts and established democracies. Jennifer was the Director of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Community University Research Alliance (NSRJ-CURA) a collaborative research partnership between university and community partners focused on the institutionalization of restorative justice.

She has worked extensively in the field internationally including with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Jamaican government, the government of New Zealand and the United Nations. She co-edited two books in the area: Being Relational: Reflections on Relational Theory and Health Law (UBC Press) and Restorative Justice, Reconciliation and Peacebuilding (Oxford University Press).

She advises and supports a number of projects and programs using a restorative approach in Nova Scotia and internationally. For example, she is an academic/policy advisor to the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Program, the Provincial Restorative Approaches in Schools Project, the HASA Network developing a restorative approach to senior safety and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

She recently facilitated the design process for a restorative public inquiry into the Home for Colored Children and previously advised on the Assembly of First Nations and Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the response to Residential School abuse. This past year she advised and co-facilitated the restorative process at the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University. She also recently conducted a comprehensive review of the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission. She presented her work at the World Summit of Nobel Laureates in Warsaw, Poland in 2014. In November 2015 she received the National Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award from Corrections Canada.

Chief Judge Pamela S. Williams

Chief Judge Williams was appointed a judge of the Provincial and Family Courts of Nova Scotia in September 2003.  She has presided over adult and youth criminal proceedings and occasional family court matters.  Between October 2006 and August 2010, she was the primary Youth Court Judge in the Metro Youth Justice Court.  Since then she has been the dedicated judge for the Nova Scotia Mental Health Court.  She also presides in adult criminal court. 

On April 26th, 2011, she was appointed Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial and Family Court.  Nearly two years later, on February 26, 2013, she was appointed Chief Judge of the Provincial and Family Court for the Province of Nova Scotia.  Prior to her appointment, she was a staff lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid for nearly 20 years.  During that time, she represented adults and youth in the areas of family law and criminal law.  She was also a legal advocate for the mentally ill who appeared before the Criminal Code Review Board. 

Stephanie MacInnis-Langley

Stephanie MacInnis-Langley is the Executive Director at the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She is a leader who brings strategic and horizontal approaches to the social policy and economic development challenges of government.

A lifelong advocate for women and girls, Stephanie works to address the inequities challenging the lives and advancement of women and girls. As a senior official with the Nova Scotia Government, Stephanie has been integral to many of the ‘firsts’ in our province including implementing the Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy as the inaugurating Director of Crime Prevention. Appointed Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women in 2010, she co-lead the implementation of the first Provincial Domestic Violence Action Plan to ensure the vision that "all persons should live free from domestic violence and abuse", and held a key leadership role in the development of Nova Scotia's first Sexual Violence Strategy.
Prior to her work in government, Stephanie developed and implemented a shelter service for abused women and their children in rural Nova Scotia. 

Stephanie has maintained a strong focus in community development throughout her career and has served on a number of government and community committees at federal, provincial and municipal levels.

Stephanie holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University and is a registered social worker.

Sean Casey

Sean Casey is honoured to serve as the Member of Parliament for Charlottetown. Sean is currently the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Jody Wilson-Raybould. In addition, Sean is working alongside Parliamentary Secretary Bill Blair. He was first elected in 2011, and has previously served as the Veterans Affairs Critic and the Justice Critic for the Liberal Party.

Sean has extensive legal and business experience. Immediately prior to his election, Sean was the Managing Partner of the Charlottetown office of the Stewart McKelvey law firm. He joined the firm in 1989, becoming a Partner in 1993 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2008. From 2003-2008, Sean worked with the family business, Paderno, as President of the Paderno Group of Companies. Sean is an avid runner, having completed four marathons. He lives in Charlottetown with his wife, Kathleen, who currently serves Charlottetown-Lewis Point as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. They have two adult sons: Ryan and Dean.

Senator Murray Sinclair

Senator Sinclair served the justice system in Manitoba for over 25 years. He was the first Aboriginal Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second.

He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s report in 2015. He also oversaw an active multimillion dollar fundraising program to support various TRC events and activities, and to allow survivors to travel to attend TRC events.

Senator Sinclair has been invited to speak throughout Canada, the United States and internationally, including the Cambridge Lectures for members of the Judiciary of various Commonwealth Courts in England.

He served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Manitoba. He was very active within his profession and his community and has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001) and its Distinguished Service Award (2016) and has received Honorary Doctorates from 8 Canadian universities. Senator Sinclair was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016.

Dr. Val Napoleon, Indigenous  Peoples’ Counsel

Law Foundation Chair of Aboriginal Justice and Governance; Director, Indigenous Law Research Unit; and Provost’s Engaged Community Scholar

My current research focuses on Indigenous legal traditions, legal theories, feminisms, citizenship, self-determination, and governance. Several of my major initiatives include establishing the Indigenous Law Research Unit and the proposed JID (dual JD and indigenous law degree) program.

I work with numerous Indigenous community partners across Canada on a range of Indigenous law research projects (e.g., Indigenous water law, harms and injuries, gender in Indigenous law, and lands and resources) and also with several national and international Indigenous law research initiatives. Some of the courses I teach are Indigenous feminist legal studies, property, Indigenous legal theories, and Indigenous legal methodologies. I am from Saulteau First Nation (BC Treaty 8) and am an adopted member of the House of Luuxhon, Ganada, from Gitanyow (northern Gitksan).

Grace Campbell

Grace Campbell works with the Crime Prevention Unit of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice.  Prior to this work she was the Program Manager of the Mi’kmaw Legal Support Network.  Grace holds a Bachelor of Education and Arts Degrees. 

She is Cree and a member of the Taykwa Tagamou First Nation community in Northern Ontario and a proud mother of 2 children.

Senator Mobina Jaffer

Senator Mobina Jaffer represents the province of British Columbia in the Senate of Canada, where she chairs the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. Appointed to the Senate on June 13, 2001 by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, she is the first Muslim senator, the first African-born senator, and the first senator of South Asian descent. Senator Jaffer also sits as a member of the Senate’s Anti-terrorism and Legal and Constitutional Affairs committees.

Most recently Senator Jaffer chaired a Senate study on the sexual exploitation of children in Canada and the need for national action. A champion of Canada’s linguistic bilingualism, she advocates measures to advance the use of English and French in communities across Canada. As public safety has assumed a significant place in national debate and policy, Senator Jaffer raised awareness on the abuse of profiling in counterterrorism measures and the fundamental imperative to respect privacy, human rights, and the rule of law. Communities are at the heart of any successful policy initiative and progress; Senator Jaffer works to engage communities in protecting human rights, celebrating Canada’s diversity, and promoting progress.

Senator Jaffer served as Canada’s Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan from 2002 to 2006. From 2002 to 2005, she chaired the Canadian Committee on Women, Peace, and Security. Senator Jaffer is often invited to speak at international conferences on security issues and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which “urges all actors to increase the participation of women and incorporate gender perspectives in all United Nations peace and security efforts” and “calls on all parties to conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, in situations of armed conflict.” As a grandmother, women’s rights and children’s rights are central to Senator Jaffer’s advocacy.
An accomplished lawyer, Senator Jaffer has practiced law at the firm Dohm, Jaffer and Jeraj since 1978. Appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1998, Senator Jaffer was the first South Asian woman to practice law in Canada and she has a distinguished record of service to the legal profession.

The Women’s Executive Network named Senator Jaffer among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2003, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Open Learning University.

Senator Jaffer earned a Bachelor of Laws from London University in London, England in 1972. She has also completed the Executive Development program at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Born in Uganda, Senator Jaffer speaks six languages and is married with two adult children and one grandson.

Chief Paul Prosper, Paqtnkek First Nation

Paul Prosper is Senior Associate of Mi'kma'ki All Points Services (MAPS) with a portfolio in the Management of Project Services and Strategic Development. A Mi'kmaq Lawyer from the Paqtnkek First Nation in Nova Scotia, Paul has extensive experience in Aboriginal legal issues from a research, governance and negotiation perspective. Paul has worked in various capacities such as: Research Director with The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, Co-Manager of the Nova Scotia Aboriginal Title Project, Program Manager of the Mi'kmaq Legal Support Network, Negotiations Preparedness Initiative Coordinator with the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI, Legal Advisor for the Treaty & Aboriginal Rights Research Centre of Nova Scotia and currently teaches Mi'kmaq Governance and Aboriginal and Treaty Rights for Cape Breton University.

Paul has 20 years of work experience involving such areas as: project management, historical / environmental and First Nations Oral history research, First Nation land use and occupation studies, First Nation agreements, corporate and First Nation governance, citizenship, Nationhood, justice, community development, legal research, negotiations and consultation. A Mi'kmaq Lawyer and Chief of the Paqtnkek First Nation in Nova Scotia since 2013, Paul has extensive experience He has served on several boards and committees and has conducted numerous presentations in academic, government and First Nation institutional settings on a variety of topics.

He has collaborated with many Aboriginal organizations, government departments and third party interest groups on numerous projects. Paul views his personal skill sets in the development of constructive relationships that "bridge the gap" between Aboriginal, corporate and government objectives.

Leonard Anthony (Tony) Smith, Co-chair, Council of Parties – Restorative Inquiry NSHCC

Tony Smith has spent most of his adult life helping people who are marginalized—those in the child welfare system or the criminal justice system, and those who struggle with mental illness and addictions. He is best known for his work advocating for those who suffered abuse and neglect at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children (NSHCC).

In 2012, Tony and other former NSHCC residents co-founded the Victims of Institutional Child Exploitation Society (VOICES), a support and advocacy group. Tony and the VOICES executive led the call for a public inquiry into the NSHCC, which the province initiated in 2014. They also helped secure class-action settlements with the NSHCC and the provincial government, both of whom offered public apologies to the former residents.

Tony was a driving force on the design team that created a Restorative Inquiry meant to address systemic issues and lead to social change. He continues to serve the inquiry as council co-chair. Throughout the inquiry design and implementation, Tony has demonstrated a commitment to building relationships between public agencies and the African Nova Scotian community in an effort to shape a better and more just future together.

Donald K. Piragoff, Q.C.
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
Policy Sector

Donald K. Piragoff, Q.C., B.A. LL.B., LL.M., became Senior Assistant Deputy Minister in October 2006.

He was educated at the Universities of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Toronto, where he obtained Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Law and Masters of Law degrees. He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1979. He joined the Department of Justice Canada in 1981.

During his career at Justice Canada, he has worked on various criminal law-related legislative and policy initiatives, both national and international. Internationally, he has represented Canada at the G8, Council of Europe, Commonwealth, Organization of American States, and the United Nations, as well as other international meetings. He was a member of the Canadian delegations to the various Preparatory Committees for the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries that negotiated the Rome Statute and the Rules of the ICC, including the coordination of negotiations and drafting of various Articles and Rules related to criminal law and evidence.

Mr. Piragoff has been the Minister of Justice’s representative on the Board of Directors for the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy since March 2004.
In October 2011, the Deputy Minister appointed him Champion for Multiculturalism.

He was the 2014 Department of Justice recipient of the John Tait Award for excellence in achieving the highest standards of professional conduct and exemplifying pre-eminent public service. 

He has taught at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, Toronto, and at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, Montreal, and has authored a book on Similar Fact Evidence and several publications.

Marilou Reeve, B.A. LL.B.
Counsel
Criminal Law Policy Section
Department of Justice Canada

Marilou has worked with Justice Canada since 2001, almost exclusively on files related to the over-representation of marginalized populations in the youth and adult criminal justice system. 
She is the policy lead on restorative justice for Justice Canada and also works on a range of sentencing issues. She is an active member of the Federal Provincial Territorial Working Group on Restorative Justice.

Prior to joining the Department, Marilou practiced law privately for 8 years acting primarily for legally aided clients in criminal and family law proceedings.  She represented children in custody and access disputes and in child protection matters as counsel for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, Ministry of the Attorney General Ontario.

Marilou is also one of the first restorative justice facilitators of the Collaborative Justice Project (CJP), a project that uses a restorative process to respond to matters of serious crime. The CJP has operated continuously in the Ottawa courthouse for 17 years and is one of the most comprehensively evaluated models of restorative justice in Canada.