35 Facts About Irwin Cotler

Irwin Cotler served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election.

The son of a lawyer, Cotler was born in Montreal, Quebec to a Jewish family.

Irwin Cotler then graduated from Yale Law School with an LL.

Irwin Cotler was a professor of law at McGill University and the director of its Human Rights Program from 1973 until his election as a Member of Parliament in 1999 for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Irwin Cotler has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Yale Law School and is the recipient of eleven honorary doctorates.

Irwin Cotler was appointed in 1992 as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Irwin Cotler is a past president of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Irwin Cotler received an honorary doctorate from McGill University on May 30,2019, and gave the commencement address during the Faculty of Law's convocation ceremony.

Irwin Cotler has served on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and its sub-Committee on Human Rights and International Development, as well as on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Irwin Cotler represented Natan Sharansky, who was imprisoned in the Soviet gulag for Jewish activism.

At the request of Nelson Mandela's South African legal team, Irwin Cotler took on the role of "Canadian counsel" to Mandela in 1981, participating in anti-apartheid activities in Canada and advocating on Mandela's behalf.

Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an Egyptian democracy activist imprisoned by the Egyptian government, was represented by Irwin Cotler and acquitted in 2003.

Irwin Cotler acted as counsel to Maher Arar during part of Arar's imprisonment and supported demands for a public inquiry.

Irwin Cotler has defended both Palestinians and Israelis against their own governments, and participated in a minor role in the Camp David peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.

In 2017, Irwin Cotler was asked to join a panel of independent international experts designated by Luis Almagro, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, to determine whether there was reasonable ground to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Venezuela.

Irwin Cotler is on the Board of Advancing Human Rights.

Irwin Cotler is a board member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations.

In early 2005, Irwin Cotler intervened in the senate review of Canada's 2001 Anti-Terrorism Act, as mandated by section 145 of the bill.

Irwin Cotler recommended the appointment of two women to the Supreme Court of Canada: Louise Charron and Rosalie Abella.

On January 18,2007, Irwin Cotler was appointed Critic for Human Rights by newly elected leader Stephane Dion.

In May 2011, Irwin Cotler was named Justice and Human Rights Critic by interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.

Irwin Cotler chaired the Inter-Parliamentary Group for Human Rights in Iran, the Inter-Parliamentary Group of Justice for Sergei Magnitsky, and the All-Party Save Darfur Coalition.

In 2013, Irwin Cotler was chosen to represent the Liberal Party of Canada at the Funeral of Nelson Mandela in deference to the work he did for and with Nelson Mandela in fighting Apartheid.

On February 5,2014, Irwin Cotler announced he was not running in the 42nd Canadian federal election.

Irwin Cotler was one of thirteen Canadians banned from traveling to Russia under retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2014.

Irwin Cotler is an advisory board member of United Against Nuclear Iran and the Counter Extremism Project.

Irwin Cotler has worked with a group of international jurists to indict Iranian President Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide under the UN Charter and the Genocide Convention.

Irwin Cotler chaired a commission called the "Responsibility to Prevent Coalition", which released a petition in 2009 entitled "The Danger of a Genocidal and Nuclear Iran: A Responsibility to Prevent Petition".

Irwin Cotler separated six categories of anti-Semitism and found thirteen indices of discrimination against Jews that characterizes the "new anti-Jewishness".

Irwin Cotler is an Honorary Member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.

Irwin Cotler serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Genesis Prize Foundation.

Irwin Cotler has spoken at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on several occasions.

In 2016, Irwin Cotler drafted the "'Never Again' Declaration", which has been signed by justice ministers, parliamentarians, jurists, and Luis Moreno Ocampo, former International Criminal Court prosecutor.

Irwin Cotler's daughter, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is an attorney and was a PhD candidate in law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Irwin Cotler became a Member of the Knesset for the Blue and White Party in the 23rd Knesset, June 2020.