“Father of the ICC” Joins Canadian Centre for International Justice
For immediate release December 15, 2009
Ottawa – The Canadian Centre for International Justice (CCIJ) today announced the support of one of the central figures in the global movement to seek accountability in the face of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Judge Philippe Kirsch joins Louise Arbour, Lloyd Axworthy and other high profile Canadians on the CCIJ’s Honorary Council. Recently called the ‘Father of the International Criminal Court’ by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Judge Kirsch chaired the negotiations in 1998 to create the International Criminal Court (ICC) – the world’s first permanent international body capable of trying individuals for massive human rights abuses. In 2003 he was elected as one of the ICC’s first judges and then its first President. He is a lawyer and diplomat, and is now an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice, having completed his term at the ICC.
“We have seen remarkable developments in the global movement to seek accountability in the face of mass atrocities, and this has all occurred in the last two decades,” said Judge Kirsch. “While continuing to support the ICC, we also need trials for genocide and war crimes in national courts around the world. No single institution can meet all the demands, so international and domestic justice mechanisms must work in tandem.”
In September of this year, a Quebec court handed Désiré Munyaneza a life sentence with no parole for 25 years for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A week later, a second Rwandan, Jacques Mungwarere, was arrested by the RCMP.
In addition to criminal cases, efforts are underway to give victims of torture and war crimes in Canada the right to seek acknowledgement and compensation from their abusers in civil courts. Until now, foreign governments have been able to use a Canadian law on immunity to argue that they cannot be tried in Canadian courts even if they torture a Canadian. A bill was introduced in Parliament in November that would create an exception to this law, allowing lawsuits in limited circumstances when foreign governments commit serious human rights abuses. An exception already exists that allows suits for breaches of commercial contracts.
At the same time, the son of slain Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi is taking on the Government of Iran and individual Iranian officials in a Quebec civil case for his mother’s torture and murder. The issue of whether Iran has immunity is currently being considered, and the outcome – expected in several months – will have broad implications. “
Judge Kirsch is someone whose global contributions should make all Canadians proud,” said Jayne Stoyles, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for International Justice, when the announcement was made. “We are very honoured to have him involved with our Centre at a time when there is so much work to do and the connection between the ICC and national-level war crimes cases needs to be more widely understood.”
The Canadian Centre for International Justice works with survivors of genocide, torture and other atrocities to seek redress and bring perpetrators to justice. Other members of the Honorary Council include Louise Arbour, Lloyd Axworthy, Ed Broadbent, Flora MacDonald, Maher Arar, Erna Paris, Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, and Raynell Andreychuk.
For more information please visit our website at www.ccij.ca.
