Our Staff
Cheryl Milne, LL.B., M.S.W., Executive Director
Cheryl Milne is the inaugural executive director of the Centre. Prior to this position she had extensive experience as a legal advocate for children with the legal clinic Justice for Children and Youth. There she led the clinic’s Charter litigation at the Supreme Court of Canada including the challenge to the corporal punishment defence in the Criminal Code [ Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v. Canada (2004)], the striking down of the reverse onus sections of the Youth Criminal Justice Act for adult sentencing [ R. v. D.B. (2008)], and most recently an intervention involving the right of a capable adolescent to consent to her own medical treatment ( A.C. v. Manitoba Child and Family Services (on reserve)]. She is currently the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights section. She teaches a clinical course in constitutional advocacy at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and Social Work & the Law at Ryerson University.
Our Students
Tatiana Lazdins, Summer Intern is a J.D. Candidate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Her responsibilities as Summer Intern include monitoring developing areas of constitutional law, including provincial appellate and Supreme Court case law as well as proposed legislation; contributing to research for current David Asper Centre cases; and assisting the production of David Asper Centre publications, such as the newsletter and annual report. Tatiana has demonstrated commitment to equity issues by previously serving as the president and chair of the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre Board of Directors, and by providing mentorship to an all-girls high school robotics team. Tatiana's interests also include the societal impact of technology. During the past year she participated in the Asper Centre's Internet Surveillance working group, which examined the applicability of the Charter to proposed legislation on internet surveillance. Prior to attending law school Tatiana practiced as a professional engineer developing automotive control software.