Cree Judge Appointed BC Childrens Rights Advocate

Cree Judge Appointed BC Childrens Rights Advocate

Friday, November 24, 2006 at 14:46

A judge from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation says she’s excited about her appointment as an advocate of children’s rights in B.C.

Wednesday in the B.C. Legislature, both Government and Opposition agreed to hire Judge Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond as that province’s first ever Advocate for Children’s Rights.

The appointment is for five years and comes in the wake of a damning report on child negligence in that province.

Turpel-Lafond says she’s pleased by the news and will do her best for the children at risk.

Turpel-Lafond says she also expects that the issues affecting kids in B.C. will be relatively the same as here in Saskatchewan.

Turpel-Lafond says she expects much of her inspiration on the job will come from traditional Cree values.

She has already requested a 5-year leave of absence from Saskatchewan courts and begins her new job on February 1st.