Governing Bodies

CHRI's governing structures reflect the diversity within the Commonwealth. CHRI is privileged to have as its distinguished patrons:

Hon. Flora MacDonald, formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs, Canada and

Dr. Kamal Hossain who was Chairman, Drafting Committee, Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh (1972) and former Minister of Law.

The International Advisory Commission, which governs CHRI's policies, is made up of eminent people from across the Commonwealth.

The Hon. Sam Okudzeto, Chair of CHRI's International Advisory Commission, is a member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. He has also been a member of The Legal Aid Committee, Prisons Service Council, General Legal Council, Judicial Council, a former Member of Parliament, Chair of Public Accounts Committee and President of the Ghana Bar Association.

Secretary:
Ms. Maja Daruwala (Director, CHRI)

Members:
Dr. Eunice Brookman-Ammisah (CMA)
Mr. Murray Burt (CJA)
Mr. Yash Ghai
Mr. B.G. Verghese (Chair - Executive Committee)
Dr. Neville Linton (Chair - Trustee Committee)
Ms. Alison Duxbury (Ex-Officio)
Ms. Zohra Yusuf (Ex-officio)

Executive Committee (India - Head Quarters)

The Executive Committee and the Director oversee CHRI's day-to-day functioning at its headquarters in New Delhi. The members of the Committee are a veritable who's who from the legal professions, media, academia, activist organisations, government and trade unions.

Mr. B.G. Verghese, Chair & Treasurer of the Executive Committee,formerly associated with the Commonwealth Journalists Association, is a columnist and author. He is a former Information Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, former editor of Hindustan Times and Indian Express, member of several official commissions and committees on water, security, the media and the Northeast and has served on the boards of a number of institutions.

Members:
Ms. Anu Aga
Mr. K.S. Dhillon
Mr. R.V. Pillai
Dr. B.K. Chandrashekar
Mr. Harivansh
Mr. Kamal Kumar
Mr. Bhagwan Das
Ms. Poonam Muttreja
Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika
Mr Nitin Desai
Justice Ruma Pal
Ms Maja Daruwala

Executive Committee (Ghana - Africa Office)

Hon. Sam Okudzeto, Chairperson

Members:
Ms. Anna Bossman
Mr. B.G. Verghese
Mr. Emile Short
Dr. Neville Linton
Ms. Maja Daruwala

Executive Committee (London Office)

The Executive Committee, founded in 1993 and based in London, oversees the work of the London office. It also serves as the liaison with the Commonwealth Secretariat and other Commonwealth bodies. The Executive Committee comprises members nominated from the founding bodies of the CHRI/made up of the following professional associations: Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Commonwealth Legal Education Association, Commonwealth Journalists Association, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Commonwealth Press Union, and Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. The Executive Committee is also made up of some co-opted members.

Dr. Neville Linton, Chair of the Executive Committee is a Consultant in Politcal Affairs, specialises in Democratisation and Human Rights issues in transitional societies. Previously he was a political scientist at the University of the West Indies before serving as a senior official at the Commonwealth Secretariat. Currently he is a Senior Adviser with Transparency International and works on corruption issues in Africa and the Caribbean.

Deputy Chairperson:
Ms. Lindsay Ross (CPU)

Members:
Mr. Austin Davis (CLEA)
Ms. Meenakshi Dhar (CPA)
Ms. Baroness Francis D’Souza CMG (co-opted)
Mr. Derek Ingram OBE (CJA)
Mr. Colin Nicholls (CLA)
Mr. Syed Sharfuddin (co-opted)
Ms. Elizabeth Smith OBE (CBA)