Friday, April 06, 2007

First aboriginal female judge appointed in Manitoba

Winnipeg Free Press

Thu Apr 5 16:47:00 CDT 2007

"A lawyer from northern Manitoba has become the first aboriginal woman to be appointed a judge in this province.

Doreen Redhead was appointed to the provincial court of Manitoba, effective immediately. A swearing in ceremony will be scheduled as soon as possible.

Redhead graduated from the University of Manitoba Law School in 1996. She has practiced law on behalf of the Fox Lake First Nation in Gillam, and the Keewatin Tribal Council in Thompson.

“It’s a huge step forward for women and for First Nations people,” said Attorney General Dave Chomiak. “It was actually very moving for me this morning to phone her and tell her what an honour it was for me to do that.”

Chomiak said having a female aboriginal judge gives the courts a better reflection of the population of Manitoba.

Redhead was selected by Chomiak from a list of candidates recommended by an independent judicial nominating committee, chaired by chief provincial court judge Raymond E. Wyant. Representatives of the Law Society of Manitoba and the Canadian Bar Association were also on the committee."

This is an awesome story, and one that I am very proud of. Way to go Redhead!!! Very inspiring.

2 comments:

  1. That's great news. That'll be great for the aboriginal community in Northern Manitoba. It will not only give a better reflection of the local population but will hopefully allow the justice system in Northern Manitoba to be more inclusive and provide a much needed role model for aboriginal girls in the area.

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  2. Nevermind Manitoba, this is great news for the entire country! Any progress Aboriginals can make through Canadian law is significant... if they are able to receive the attention and help they need via the courts, then they will be more likely to pursue legal avenues of dispute resolution and eliminate the need for Caledonias and Okas. There's still a long way to go though, as the courts still don't always function in Aboriginals' favour.. however, this is a promising development!

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