New Chair Appointed to Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission

The government has appointed Cheryl Knockwood as the new chair of the Human Rights Commission.

Ms. Knockwood currently resides in Sydney (known as Kuntewiktuk in Mi’kmaq) and has spent most of her working life focused on Indigenous law and policy. She replaces long-time commission member and former chair, Eunice Harker, who retires on June 25.

“I want to congratulate Cheryl Knockwood on her designation as chair for the Commission,” said Mark Furey, Minister of Justice. “Her experience and demonstrated capabilities make her an ideal candidate for the job.

“I also wish to thank Eunice Harker for her outstanding leadership over the past 13 plus years. Her dedication has been instrumental to the advancement of human rights here in the province.”

Ms. Knockwood has been a member of the commission since 2015.

“During my time as a commissioner I have seen the importance of the commission’s work,” said Ms. Knockwood. “I look forward to working with my colleagues, the managers and staff at the commission to continue to protect and promote the human rights of all Nova Scotians.”

Ms. Knockwood was called to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Bar in 2009. She currently serves as the governance co-ordinator for Membertou First Nation, working alongside the community in developing laws on lands and citizenship.

She previously worked as a senior policy analyst with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs. She has also worked as a part-time instructor at Cape Breton University lecturing on Aboriginal and treaty rights, Mi’kmaw governance and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission is an independent government agency that administers the province's Human Rights Act.