Indo-Canadian woman to have human rights complaint go ahead

A provincial supreme court in Canada has okayed a human rights complaint by an Indo-Canadian varsity professor against a university alleging discrimination on the basis of race, colour and ethnic origin.

Radha Koilpillai, who is of Indian descent, was declared ineligible for the post of a full-time lecturer by Saint Mary's University dean after an external candidate was short-listed, the Chronicle Herald reported Tuesday.

Koilpillai's complaint alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of her race, colour and ethnic origin.

Koilpillai filed her human rights complaint against the university in June last year.

In a written decision released Tuesday, Justice James Chipman of Nova Scotia Supreme Court noted some administrative issues in the commission's handling of the case but announced that the board of inquiry could proceed.

Saint Mary's spokesperson Margaret Murphy in a brief statement said: "The university is looking forward to the opportunity to establish at the board of inquiry that the process followed by the faculty members of the department of management was based only on merit and free from discrimination."