Human rights vs. red tape in N.S.

David Shannon, a human rights expert and advocate, does not mince words.

The former head of the provinces human rights commission says he took over a dysfunctional organization in 2012 and left it last year after a 17-month tenure marked, at times, by bureaucratic paper-pushing, internal petty bickering and personnel problems.

Shannon, a Dalhousie University-trained lawyer and an Order of Canada recipient, told The Chronicle Herald hes proud of the accomplishments he said were achieved during his stint at the helm of the commission.

But he acknowledged his time there included crucial philosophical differences.

Shannon found he couldnt steer the ship toward advancing the dignity and self-worth of the individual under the terms of Nova Scotias Human Rights Act. Not everyone in the office shared that perspective.

So he parted ways with the commission.

There were also the impediments of having to work around key people who attempted to undermine the vision of the commission, and that was highly frustrating, Shannon said.

Essentially, they were individuals trapped in a linear and bureaucratic paralysis that advanced paperwork rather than human rights, he said in an email interview.

The government says things have improved at the commission.

Shannon, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, left his old job last June for a community service position in Thunder Bay, Ont., overseeing support for people with physical disabilities. As well, he has a part-time law practice in the area of mental health.

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Human rights vs. red tape in N.S.