Remembering human rights lawyer Grant Sinclair [BComm/58]
The University of Manitoba mourns the loss of alumnus I. Grant Sinclair, former chair of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, who died in Toronto on July 26 at age 80.
I. Grant Sinclair.
As head of the tribunal in the mid-2000s, Sinclair took part in more than 100 adjudications, helping promote human rights across Canada. In several high-profile cases, he ruled federal agencies systemically discriminated against visible-minority employees and prospective employees; in 2002, he shut down an anti-gay website.
Born in Regina and raised in Winnipeg, Sinclair excelled in sports and studies. At the University of Manitoba, he played football and hockey and was active in the Student Union. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Sinclair became a lawyer and professor in Toronto, earning a prestigious appointment as Queen’s Counsel.
“On behalf of the Asper School of Business, I offer our deepest condolences to Grant Sinclair’s family on his passing. His compassion will live on through his significant contributions to social justice and the field of human rights law,” said Dr. Gady Jacoby, Dean and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, Asper School of Business.
In 2004, he was selected to chair the human rights tribunal, having served as its deputy chair since 1999.