Women Corinne: Court System and Minority Voices

women corinne: Premier Stephen McNeil said in an interview the two new judges will provide added perspectives from the black and indigenous population in a court system that needs to reflect the makeup of the general population, according to Huffington Post Canada. I believe this is a huge step forward. Legal aid lawyer Catherine Benton becomes only the third aboriginal judge in Nova Scotia, while Ronda van der Hoek, a public prosecutor, joins two other black women Corinne Sparks and Jean Whalen among the 73 full-time judges in the province. They have had distinguished careers in making sure minority voices are being heard, that Mi'kmaq rights are being protected, and their cultures will be reflected in the decisions they make,'' he said. Photo CP handout Benton is well known within legal circles as an advocate for racial and ethnic diversity in the courts, having pushed from the earliest days of her career for a stronger role for indigenous lawyers in the court system. Catherine BEnton and Ronda van der Hoek were appointed to provincial and family courts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.