News

Dean Kim Brooks is delighted to announce Professor Wayne MacKay, CM, QC as the first permanent incumbent of the Yogis & Keddy Chair in Human Rights at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

Established in 2007 by Judge Sandra Oxner in honour of her late husband, Donald Keddy, and our esteemed colleague, Professor John Yogis, QC, the Yogis & Keddy Chair in Human Rights Law will further the study of human rights at the law school, and play a leadership role in developing collaborative programs with other academic institutions and governments.

Professor Wayne MacKay is a distinguished legal scholar, respected teacher and dedicated advocate for social justice, human rights, equality, and diversity in Canadian society. Wayne is an internationally recognized expert in constitutional law, human rights law, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In addition to his active teaching and research at the Schulich School of Law, Wayne frequently serves as an advisor to governments, national agencies and tribunals on Canadian diversity issues, constitutional issues, and civil rights and human rights initiatives. Most recently, he led the Cyberbullying Task Force for the government of Nova Scotia.

Among his many distinctions, Wayne has served as the first Director of the Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq Initiative at the law school (one of the first such programs in the country), Executive Director of the of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, Vice Chair of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, and as President and Vice-Chancellor of Mount Allison University. In recognition of his exceptional commitment to human rights, he was awarded the Walter S Tarnopolsky Human Rights Award by the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section) in 2001, and was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2005.

Professor MacKay has made outstanding contributions to academic excellence, and he has been honoured on many occasions for his teaching, research, and scholarly work. It is a genuine pleasure to count such a distinguished scholar as Wayne as one of our own.