Human Rights Law Conference 2024: Day 2

Course Chairs
Sandra F. Guarascio (she/her) — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
Lindsay Waddell (she/her) — Moore Edgar Lyster LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Sandra Guarascio (she/her) is a partner with Roper Greyell LLP. She has been recognized by Lexpert, Best Lawyers Canada, and Who's Who Legal for her work in workplace human rights. She assists public and private sector employers by providing balanced, strategic, and proactive representation and advice for unionized and non–unionized environments. Sandra practices in all areas of employment and labour law, with a particular interest in human rights and respectful workplace issues. She is an experienced investigator, advocate, facilitator and speaker, and has conducted numerous workshops dealing with management issues, discrimination, accommodation, and workplace harassment and bullying.

Sandra clerked with the BC Supreme Court and was called in 2002. She has been the co-chair of CLEBC's award winning annual two-day Human Rights Conference since 2007.

Lindsay Waddell (she/her) is a partner at Moore Edgar Lyster LLP, where she practices human rights, labour, administrative, constitutional, and professional regulatory law. She acts for public and private sector unions, individuals, and professional regulators on a wide variety of matters.

Lindsay is an experienced litigator who has appeared as counsel at all levels of court and in front of all manner of administrative tribunals. When not litigating, Lindsay also conducts independent investigations for institutional clients.

Lindsay is frequently asked to teach and present to audiences on a wide range of subjects including human rights, labour law, advocacy, and ethical issues. She is co-chair of the Human Rights Subsection of the CBABC, a regular panelist for Lancaster House, and an instructor at the Canadian Labour Congress Winter School. 

Planning Committee
Devyn Cousineau (she/her) — BC Human Rights Tribunal, Vancouver
Koml Kandola (she/her) — Kandola Arbitration Services Ltd., North Vancouver
Raji Mangat (she/her) — Executive Director, West Coast LEAF, Vancouver
Jitesh Mistry (he/him) — Jitesh Mistry, Labour Arbitration and Mediation Services, Burnaby
Sonya Sabet-Rasekh (she/her) — BC General Employees' Union, Burnaby
Harmit Sarai (she/her) — Forte Workplace Law, Surrey
Lauren Soubolsky (she/her) — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Laura Track (she/her) — Community Legal Assistance Society, Vancouver
Robyn P.M. Trask (she/her) — BC Labour Relations Board, Vancouver
David G. Wong (he/him) — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Kristen Woo (she/her) — Legal Counsel, BC Public School Employers Association, Vancouver

Faculty
Jonathan Blair (he/him) — Community Legal Assistance Society, Vancouver
Katherine A. Hardie (she/her) — BC Human Rights Tribunal, Vancouver 
Carly Hyman (she/her) — Senior Staff Lawyer, BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, Victoria
Eleni Kassaris (she/her) — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver
Gita Keshava (she/her) — Ethos Law Group LLP, Vancouver
Madeline Lusk (she/her) — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver
Fiona McFarlane (she/her) — Kane Shannon & Weiler LLP, Surrey
Jitesh Mistry (he/him) — Jitesh Mistry, Labour Arbitration and Mediation Services, Burnaby
Emily Ohler (she/her) — Chair, BC Human Rights Tribunal, Vancouver
Catherine Repel (she/her) — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Satkaran Sandhu (she/her) — BC General Employees' Union, Burnaby
Maria Sokolova (she/her) — Staff Lawyer – Inquiries and Investigations, BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, Vancouver 
David G. Wong (he/him) — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

Course Materials Contributors
Matthew Allard — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Fabian Jankovic — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Victoria Merritt — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver 

Click here for full faculty bios

• review and update of significant BC Supreme Court, BC Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court of Canada cases

• what is caste and how does caste discrimination manifest in BC? (e.g., housing, the workplace, and schools)
• what has been the experience thus far in developing caste as a ground of discrimination?
• what are the challenges moving forward? factors to consider for both lawyers and decision makers when met with cases of caste-based discrimination

• this presentation will explore the ability of employees to engage in acts of expression within or outside of the workplace, on topics related or unrelated to the workplace, and how employees and employers alike can navigate such expression 
• specific topics will include the applicability of Charter rights, the Human Rights Code's protections of political belief and prohibitions on hate speech, and an employee's right to expressive activity as contrasted with an employer's ability to regulate on- and off-duty conduct or terminate employment as a result of such activity
• decisions within and out of BC will be explored to not only provide an overview of current jurisprudence, but also where it may be headed in the coming months and years