Hon. Irwin Cotler The Brandeis Center congratulates former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler for his distinguished service to Canada and the world upon the announcement that Cotler would not seek reelection to the Canadian parliament. Cotler is Honorary Chair of the Brandeis Center’s Academic Advisory Board. LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus commented, “Irwin Cotler is truly a living legend in human rights law, and his departure from governmental service is something of a blow, but I know that his passion for justice is unabated and that he will long continue to set the standard for the pursuit of justice internationally. We at the Louis D. Brandeis Center are deeply proud of his accomplishments and wish him every success in the next chapter of his extraordinary career.” Cotler, a longtime Labor Member of Parliament, stated yesterday that he would not be a candidate in the next election, announcing “I have enjoyed the honor and privilege of serving my riding, Parliament, and the Canadian people as a whole for close to fifteen years. I look forward to completing my mandate and continuing the pursuit of justice in other arenas.” Cotler was first elected to Parliament in 1999 with 92% of the vote. As Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Cotler introduced Canada’s first-ever human trafficking legislation as well as legislation for the protection of children and other vulnerable persons. He also initiated Canada’s first prosecution under the War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity Act. Cotler played an instrumental role in ensuring the inclusion of civil liberties protections in the Anti-Terrorism Act and later as Minister initiated the first prosecution under this legislation. He has been a vocal advocate for international justice and genocide prevention, and the promotion and implementation of the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine. As an active global parliamentarian, Prof. Cotler has chaired international groups such as the Inter-Parliamentary Group for Human Rights in Iran, the Justice for Sergei Magnitsky Interparliamentary Group, and the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism. Prior to serving in Parliament, Prof. Cotler was a law professor at McGill University (where he is now Professor Emeritus), and taught at Harvard University and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Yale Law School. In addition, Cotler has served as counsel to numerous prisoners of conscience around the world, including Nelson Mandela, Natan Sharansky, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, and Jacobo Timerman. He is the recipient of 10 honorary doctorates and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.