HRPA Meeting Details

Safiyah Husein is a Policy Analyst at the Centre of Research, Policy and Program Development. She joined the Centre in 2018. She participates in the Centre’s research and policy activities, supports the public education activities of the Society, and liaises with local offices and community partners on reform initiatives. Safiyah holds a BSc in Psychology from York University and a JD from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Safiyah completed her articles at the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman and was called to the Ontario Bar in June 2018. As part of the Centre’s public education work Safiyah has presented on the Police Record Check Reform Act and police record check best practices to various sectors including legal professionals and employment services.

Amy Shoemaker is the Director of LAO LAW, the research department at Legal Aid Ontario. LAO LAW provides research services to lawyers acting for legally aided clients in the areas of criminal law, family law and immigration law. Following graduation from law school at Queen’s University in 1995, Amy worked as a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto. She also worked as an institutional advocate at the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly where she practised mental health law. Amy received her LL.M. in criminal law from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001. Amy was a member of the Criminal Justice Section Executive of the Ontario Bar Association for a number of years and served as editor of the section newsletter. More recently, she has been involved in various professional development programs at Legal Aid Ontario and has presented “lunch and learns” for the legal staff on the Cannabis Act, the Police Record Checks Reform Act and Bail hearings.