Irwin Cotler

Faculty of Law

Biography

Professor Cotler teaches constitutional law, international human rights law, law and poverty, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, discrimination and the law, civil liberties, and comparative and international protection of minorities' rights. His main research areas are freedom of expression and assaultive speech, equality law, peace and human rights, and comparative constitutional law. Professor Cotler is Chair of InterAmicus, the International Human Rights Advocacy Centre based at McGill Law School; and Co-Chair of the Canadian Helsinki Watch Group. He has defended political prisoners in Peru, Tunisia, China, Nigeria, Indonesia and Russia and he has addressed major academic gatherings in Washington, Moscow and Jerusalem. He has argued before the Supreme Courts of both Canada and Israel and he has testified before parliamentary committees in Canada, the US, Norway, Russia and various Latin American states.

In 1999 Professor Cotler was elected Member of Parliament for the federal constituency of Mount Royal. He was re-elected in November 2000. On December 12, 2003, the Prime Minister appointed Mr. Cotler Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He was re-appointed on July 20th following the General Election of June 28.

Education

Ph.D. (Hebrew University) 1992

Ph.D. (Haifa) 1992

LL.D. (Simon Fraser) 1991

L.L.D. (York) 1987

LL.D. (Bar-Ilan) 1986

LL.M. (Yale) 1966

B.C.L. (McGill) 1964

B.A. (McGill) 1961

Employment

Professor, McGill University, since 1973

Member of Parliament for the federal constituency of Mount Royal, 1999-

Director of the Human Rights Programme, Faculty of Law, McGill University

Chair, InterAmicus, McGill-based International Human Rights Advocacy Centre

Officer Order of Canada in 1992

Member of Quebec and Canadian Bar Associations

Areas of Interest

Teaching: Constitutional Law, Human rights law, international law, poverty law.Research: Freedom of expression and hate speech, war crimes law; application of international law to domestic law, international women's rights.