l'Hon. Irwin Cotler

Remembering Mandela

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 10 décembre 2013

We are all, wherever we are, deeply saddened and profoundly pained at the passing of a great historical figure, Nelson Mandela – who endured 27 years in a South African prison and emerged not only to preside over the dismantling of apartheid, but, in fact, to make possible, as President, the establishment of a democratic, multiracial, free South Africa.
Mandela was the embodiment of the three great struggles of the 20th century: the long march toward freedom - as he put it - the march for democracy, and the march for equality. In a word, he was the metaphor and message for the struggle for human rights and human dignity in our time.

Our Linguistic Duality Must be a Legal Reality

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 22 avril 2013

In the words of René Lévesque, “A nation is judged by how it treats its minorities.” Regrettably, linguistic minorities in Canada have often had to fight for just treatment, and that struggle continues against the backdrop of several troubling recent developments that threaten the rights of minority language communities throughout the country. Simply put, it is critical to ensure that minority language communities feel welcome and are able to thrive, and this is as true for Anglophones in Quebec as it is true for French-speakers elsewhere in Canada. 

Tory Omnibus Crime Bill Will Produce More Crime and Less Justice

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 26 octobre 2011

The Conservative’s omnibus crime bill will result, sadly, in more crime, less justice. There are six principal problems with the legislation.

Burma’s Potemkin Election

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 4 novembre 2010

This week, Burma will hold its first election in two decades. In the last election – May, 1990 – the National League for Democracy, lead by Aung San Suu Kyi – now an honourary Canadian citizen -- won in a landslide. Rather than taking office as Prime Minister, Suu Kyi was promptly placed under house arrest where she has remained for fifteen of the last twenty years. The military junta, which had ruled the country continually since a coup d’état in 1962, continued its reign – as if an election never even occurred.

The Iranian threat: A clear and present danger

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 22 juillet 2010

Ahmadinejad’s Iran – a term used to distinguish the regime from the people and publics of Iran who are themselves the targets of massive domestic repression – has emerged as a clear and present danger to international peace and security, to regional and Mid-East stability, and increasingly – and alarmingly so – to its own people.
Simply put, we are witnessing in Ahmadinejad’s Iran the toxic convergence of four distinct – yet interrelated – dangers – the nuclear threat; the genocidal incitement threat; state-sponsored terrorism; and the systematic and widespread violations of the rights of the Iranian people.

Global Antisemitism: Assault on Human Rights (DATE DE PARUTION 26 FÉVRIER 2009)

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 18 juin 2009

Keynote Address by the Honourable Irwin Cotler at the founding conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA) Professor Cotler is the co-founder of ICCA with UK MP John Mann. He is the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and is the Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Mount Royal.

Jamais plus! La génocide: soixante ans, trois leçons (DATE DE PARUTION 10 JUILLET 2008)

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 18 juin 2009

Cette année c’est la soixantième anniversaire de l’adoption de deux instruments cruciaux dans notre histoire, soit la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide (la « Convention sur le génocide »)—connue comme la Convention « plus jamais »—et la Déclaration universelle des droits de la personne—reconnue comme étant la « magna carta » de l’humanité...

In Defence of Anti-Discrimination Laws

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 28 mai 2009

Tom Flanagan, the former Conservative campaign manager and university professor, went on the offensive last week arguing that anti-discrimination legislation should rightly target only government – but not private individuals’ – action. This thesis is as provocative as it is dangerous. Far from demonstrating the uselessness of the law, Mr. Flanagan’s comments instead remind us of how vital a role it plays...

Global Antisemitism: Assault on Human Rights

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 26 février 2009

Keynote Address by the Honourable Irwin Cotler at the founding conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA)
Professor Cotler is the co-founder of ICCA with UK MP John Mann. 
He is the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and is the Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Mount Royal...

Jamais plus!

Par l'Hon. Irwin Cotler le 10 juillet 2008

Cette année c’est la soixantième anniversaire de l’adoption de deux instruments cruciaux dans notre histoire, soit la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide (la « Convention sur le génocide »)—connue comme la Convention « plus jamais »—et la Déclaration universelle des droits de la personne—reconnue comme étant la « magna carta » de l’humanité...