Ena Chadha

Ena Chadha is an experienced human rights lawyer, investigator, educator and mediator, called to the Ontario Bar in 1994. A proud member of the South Asian community of Brampton, her career is dedicated to working in the areas of equality rights and conflict resolution.

From July 2020 to August 2021, Ena served as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) leading the OHRC during a transition period and the unprecedented challenges of the COVID19 pandemic. Ena’s tenure as Chief Commissioner was dedicated to tackling systemic discrimination in education, health care and policing. Prior to her appointment as Chief Commissioner, Ena served as co-reviewer of the systemic racism review of the Peel District School Board and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (2018-2020 and present). She was a precedent-setting Vice-Chair with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (2007-2015).

Previously, Ena was Director of Litigation with ARCH: Disability Law Centre (1999-2007). She has appeared before various tribunals, trial and appellate courts, including prominent constitutional challenges at the Supreme Court of Canada, advancing Charter rights in the areas of workers compensation, immigration law and government services.

From 1994-1999, Ena practiced privately in the areas of human rights and refugee law and served as external counsel to the OHRC. She has a Journalism degree from Ryerson and received her LL.B. from University of Saskatchewan. She obtained her LL.M. degree from Osgoode in 2008, studying critical disability theory.

Ena holds certificates in Advance Alternate Dispute Resolution (Negotiations & Mediations); Intensive Trial Advocacy; and Mental Health Law. Ena has spoken widely on gender, race, disability and harassment. She has taught Administrative law at Osgoode Hall Law School and teaches Negotiations and Power & Politics as a sessional lecturer with the Schulich School of Business. Ena has published extensively on equality rights, including a co-authored a chapter on Women with Disabilities in Oxford University Press authoritative textbook The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.