David Matas

David Matas Co-Chair and Senior Legal Advisor of the International Coalition Against Torture.

"Employment: Law Clerk to the Chief Justice Supreme Court of Canada 1968-69; member of the Foreign Ownership Working Group, Government of Canada 1969; articled with Thompson, Dorfman & Sweatman 1970-71; special assistant to the Solicitor General of Canada 1971-72; associate of Schwartz, McJannet, Weinberg 1973-79; private practice in refugee, immigration and human rights law 1979-.

"Government appointments: member Canadian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly 1980; Task Force Immigration Practices & Procedures 1980-81; member Canadian delegation to the United Nations Conference on an International Criminal Court 1998; member Canadian Delegation to the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, 2000; Director of the International Centre for Human Rights & Democratic Development which became Rights and Democracy 1997-2003.

"Academic appointments: Lecturer in Constitutional Law, McGill University 1972-73; Lecturer in Introductory Economics, Canadian Economic Problems 1982, International Law 1985, Civil Liberties 1986-88, Immigration & Refugee Law 1989-, University of Manitoba.

"Volunteer activities: Director of the International Defence & Aid Fund for South Africa in Canada 1990-91; Director of Canada-South Africa Cooperation 1991-93; Co-chair Canadian Helsinki Watch Group 1985-; Director Manitoba Association of Rights & Liberties 1983-87; Amnesty International: Member of the Standing Coalition on Mandate of the International Executive Coalition, 1993-1999, Legal Co-ordinator Canadian Section (English speaking branch) 1980-; member of the anti-impunity working group 2002-

"B'nai Brith Canada: Chair League for Human Rights, 1983-85, Senior Honourary Counsel 1989-, Vice-President 1996-1998; Canadian Bar Association: member of the Coalition on the Constitution 1977-78, chair of the Constitutional & International Law section 1979-82, chair of the Immigration Law section 1996-97, member of the Working Group on Racial Equality in the Legal Profession 1994-2000, chair of the Working Group on the Review of the Canadian Human Rights Act 1999, member of the Federal Court Bar Bench Liaison Coalition 1999-, member of the Racial Equality Implementation Coalition 2000-, and chair 2002-. International Commission of Jurists: Councillor Canadian Section 1983-94, Vice-President 1994-2003; Canadian Jewish Congress: Chair Legal Coalition on War Crimes 1981-84; Co-Chair, Race Relations and the Law Project 1985-7; Canadian Council for Refugees: Chair of the Working Group on Overseas Protection 1989-1991, Member of the international Expert Group on Carrier Sanctions, 1990-91; Chair of the Task Force on Overseas Protection, 1992; President 1991-95.

"Trial observations - prosecution of Eddie Carthan, Tchula Mississippi, for Amnesty Interational; sanctuary trial, Tucson Arizona for International Commission of Jurists; prosecution of Enhadda, Tunisia for Human rights Watch and International Human Rights Law Group; sentencing of Grenada seven, Grenada, for Human Rights Watch; civil suit for compensation of torture victims of Marcos against the Marcos estate, Honolulu Hawaii for International Commission of Jurists.

"Honours: Governor-General's Confederation Medal 1992; Jewish War Veterans Victory in Europe Fifteeth Anniversary Medal 1995; Outstanding Achievement Award, Manitoba Association of Rights & Liberties 1996; Honourary Doctorate of Law, Concordia University 1996; Dr. Percy Barsky Humanitarian Award Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation 1997; Centennial Community Service Award of the National Council of Jewish Women (Winnipeg Section) 1997; Lord Reading Law Society of Montreal Honouree 1997; League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada Midwest Region Human Rights Achievement Award 1999; Community Legal Education Association Manitoba Human Rights Achievement Award 1999.

"Books: "Canadian Immigration Law" 1986; "Justice Delayed: Nazi War Criminals in Canada" 1987 with Susan Charendoff; "The Sanctuary Trial" 1989; "Closing the Doors: The Failure of Refugee Protection" 1989 with Ilana Simon; "No More: The Battle Against Human Rights Violations" 1994; co-editor "The Machinery of Death" Amnesty International USA 1995; "Bloody Words: Hate and Free Speech" 2000.

"Manuscripts: "Bringing Nazi War Criminals in Canada to Justice" B'nai Brith Canada 1985; "Renaissance in Tunis" 1990; "Nazi War Criminals in Canada: Five Years After" B'nai Brith Canada, 1992; "Refugee Protection in New States: The Kyrgyz Republic" Canadian Helsinki Watch Group, 1998; "What Happened to Raoul Wallenberg" 1998."

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