| Mary is recognized nationally
and internationally as an expert in the field of human rights
and labour law, gender equality, pay and employment equity,
social protection, judicial reform and alternative dispute
resolution. Mary joined the firm in 1994 as a senior partner
after 18 years as the founding partner of Cornish Advocates.
As a feminist labour lawyer, she continues to chair the Equal
Pay Coalition, a broad-based civil society coalition which
successfully lobbied for the implementation of Ontario's proactive
pay equity laws. Mary has also argued many precedent setting
cases which established important labour and human rights principles
in Canada. This includes the successful 1997 SEIU Charter Challenge
which restored the pay equity rights of over 100,000 Ontario
public sector women and the CUPE et al Charter Challenge which
obtained up to $414 million government funding for these restored
rights. She also won for Jane Doe, a woman attacked by a serial
rapist, the right to sue the Metropolitan Toronto police force
and the recognition that the Charter applies to ensure police
forces act in a non-discriminatory fashion. Certified as a
labour law specialist by the Law Society, Mary represents trade
unions and employees in many sectors.
In addition to her domestic legal work, Mary is an international
labour and human rights lawyer and past Chair of the Canadian
Bar Association International Law Section. She provides strategic
policy and consulting advice to international organizations,
agencies and governments. This includes work: with the International
Labour Organization in the area of pay equity, labour standards,
and occupational health and safety, particularly for vulnerable
workers; the New Zealand government on pay and employment equity
standards and implementation; and the Swedish government and
the European Economic Community on pay equity laws. She also
acts as a Senior Consultant to the World Bank on justice reform,
trade and gender equality and the legal empowerment of women
in labour markets. She has also provided expert advice on pregnancy
discrimination to NAALC Commission on Labour Co-operation.
As a recognized
expert in human rights reform, Mary headed the Ontario Human
Rights Code Review Task Force. Its report,
Achieving Equality which recommended transformative changes
recently formed the basis for Ontario’s 2006 legislated
human rights reforms. As Chair of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators
and Regulators Service Equity Committee, Mary co-authored Towards
Service Equity, which made recommendations to ensure non-discriminatory
access to tribunals and regulatory bodies. She has also advised
the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the World Bank in
Guatemala and Mexico on innovative alternative dispute resolution
mechanisms.
As well
as being a frequent speaker, Mary is a scholar and has taught
as an
Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.
She has written extensively in many areas including national
and international labour and human rights law, pay and employment
equity, access to justice and human rights enforcement, authoring
over 70 books, articles and guides. These include: “Closing
the Global Gender Pay Gap: Securing Justice for Women’s
Work” and “Building Gender Equality into the Global
Trading System”.
Cornish
has been frequently recognized for her work. In 1993, the
Law Society
of Upper Canada awarded her the Law Society
Medal for her outstanding contribution to the legal profession
which was followed by the SOAR medal from Ontario’s Society
of Adjudicators and Regulators for her work in making administrative
justice more accessible and equitable. In 2004, she was recognized
with a tribute from the Ontario Federation of Labour and the
Canadian Labour Congress for her work over the years in advancing
the cause of Canadian working women.
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