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17/06/2003

ICC Welcomes Appointment of New Chief Commissioner

Ottawa (June 17, 2003) - On June 10, 2003, Renée Dupuis was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission. Ms. Dupuis, who has been a commissioner since March 2001, succeeds Phil Fontaine who resigned on June 3, 2003.

A member of the Quebec Bar, Renée Dupuis has been in private practice since 1973, where she specializes in the areas of human rights law as well as aboriginal and administrative law. Since 1972, she has also served as legal advisor to a number of aboriginal groups in Quebec. Ms. Dupuis has developed and delivered many conferences and written numerous studies, articles and publications regarding aboriginal law and aboriginal peoples. Recognized as a specialist in aboriginal and human rights law, she has participated in a variety of public radio and television programs. Ms. Dupuis served as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and is Chair of the Quebec Bar's Committee on Law Related to Aboriginal People. She is the recipient of the Quebec Bar Foundation's 2001 Award for her book Le statut juridique des peuples autochtones en droit canadien; the Governor General's 2001 Award for her book Justice for Canada's Aboriginal People and the YWCA's Women of Excellence Award 2002 for her contribution to the advancement of women's issues. Ms. Dupuis graduated from the University of Laval with a Bachelor of Arts and a Licence in Law, and later obtained a master's degree in Public Administration from l'Université du Québec.

The ICC was established in 1991. Its mandate is: to inquire, at the request of a First Nation, into specific claims that have been rejected by the federal government or where the First Nation disputes the compensation criteria being considered in negotiations; and to provide mediation services on consent of the parties at any stage of the claims process.