The Yukon Human Rights Commission has a new director.

B.C. native Jessica Thompson comes to the territory from Nunavut, where she worked as a federal prosecutor and an adjudicator on the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal.

She also represented the Crown at the Nunavut Mental Health Review Board.

Thompson replaces Heather MacFadgen, who has retired.

“I’ve been interested in human rights and civil liberties for a lot of my life,” Thompson said in an interview with the Star this morning.

“I was really drawn to a position where I could use my education and experience in a meaningful way to work towards the improvement of human rights in Canada and in the North.”

Thompson held a judicial clerkship with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Last year, she served as an international election observer in Ukraine for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

She completed her law degree at the University of Victoria, and obtained a master of arts degree in human security and peacebuilding from Royal Roads University.

She first visited Nunavut when she was a law student, to work at the legal aid office, and fell in love immediately with the North.

“I knew that I was where I wanted to be,” Thompson said. “The openness of the culture and the community, the welcoming nature of the North, I was immediately drawn to.

“I really liked that I could wear my big, clompy boots in court and not have to wear high heels,” she added with a laugh.

For two years, from about 2001 to 2003, she worked there on short contracts while she was still in school. Then, in the winter of 2006, she moved there with her husband and daughter.

“In many small northern communities, there’s a lot of need and a lot of work to be done,” she said.

“I was very motivated by the opportunity to get right in there and get involved.”

Thompson moved to the Yukon with her family last summer, with a desire to experience a different part of the North.

“Certainly, there are a lot of similarities in terms of social issues, challenges, and strengths across Canada’s North, and I think (I’m) bringing a bit of circumpolar perspective and a northern perspective to the job, certainly having lived in a small, fly-in community for many years.”

Thompson said her goals as director are to connect more with the communities outside of Whitehorse, be creative about forging new partnerships to increase public education and awareness about the commission’s role, and update the organization’s website.

The commission has sent three complaints pertaining to the treatment of inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre to the Yukon Human Rights Panel of Adjudicators for hearings.

Thompson said she’s also organizing a strategic planning process in February for the commission and its members to meet and discuss its direction.

“The commission is an extraordinary organization that does fantastic work and has a really strong staff, and I’m looking forward to building on and continuing the excellent work that’s been done thus far,” she said.

Commission chair Jolene Waugh said in a statement she was pleased to welcome Thompson, a “motived, community-driven member” to the team.

“Jessica brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with her many years of practicing law in Nunavut,” Waugh said.

“She is joining the commission at a time of momentum and progression. The strength of the commission is realized through the effort and commitment put forward by the staff, and Jessica will add her own unique and diverse experiences in furthering our common goal of equality for all.”

The commission and the Yukon Human Rights Act were created in the late 1980s under a government headed by former premier Tony Penikett.