Catherine Morris, BA (Alberta) 1974, JD (Alberta) 1978, LLM (UBC) 2001, was appointed Executive Director of Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada on 1 June 2020. Ms. Morris agreed to serve as Executive Director in a pro bono capacity during LRWC’s transition from the longstanding leadership of its founder, Gail Davidson. Her term as transitional Executive Director ended on 25 January 2022; however, she plans to continue to serve as LRWC’s Main Representative to the United Nations in 2022.
Ms. Morris is a also a Research Associate of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives at the University of Victoria, Canada. She has taught graduate level courses in international human rights, negotiation, and conflict studies at universities in Canada, Southeast Asia and Europe. She is a former Executive Director of the UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution. She serves as the founding director of Peacemakers Trust, a Canadian charity for research and education on conflict transformation and peacebuilding. She acts as a private consultant on conflict analysis, governance, and international human rights through Lampion Pacific Consulting, Inc.
Ms. Morris has been involved in the planning and presentation of workshops for senior officials, civil society leaders, academics, and professionals in several countries in Asia, South America and Africa. Her research and writing has resulted in publications and papers on human rights, dispute resolution, and the role of religion in peacebuilding. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia (non-practicing as of 2021) and the Canadian Bar Association.
Over a 20-year period as a volunteer for LRWC, Ms. Morris has authored or contributed to numerous LRWC statements and reports. She has served as LRWC’s Main Representative at the United Nations Human Rights Council since 2011.
