Submitted by Section Secretary, Jessica L. Dorsey
Summary of Meetings
Number of Meetings Held: 4
October 1, 2013
Guest Speakers: Amita Vulimiri and Clea Amundsen
Meeting Title/Topic: Reports from the Field: Two Women Share their Experiences in Kenya with the CBA's Young Lawyer International Program
Synopsis: Amita Vulimiri and Clea Amundsen gave a joint presentation regarding their time as interns through the Canadian Bar Association’s Young Lawyer International Program. Ms. Vulimiri worked with the Law Society of Kenya, and Ms. Amundsen worked at the International Commission of Jurists. Both women gave an overview of their respective organizations, including the organization’s mandate, the type of work performed, and the projects undertaken. They also commented on broader issues they encountered, including conflicts of interests, politics within the organizations and broader development community, tied aid, the effects of constitutional reforms in Kenya, local versus international compensation models, underfunded public service, devolution strategies, legislative reform, regional conflicts, and election reform. They showed photos depicting their experiences in Kenya.
February 12, 2014
Guest Speaker: Catherine Morris
Meeting Title/Topic: Corporate Land-Grabbing & Fabricated Charges in Cambodia: What Can Canadian Lawyers Do?
Synopsis: Catherine Morris discussed her experience as a Canadian lawyer working to defend the rights of activists in Cambodia. She began by describing Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (“LRWC”), a not-for-profit organization with Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Ms. Morris does much of her work with LRWC. Ms. Morris provided some context to the situation in Cambodia by discussing the relatively recent history of that country, including aggression by the United States and Vietnam, the Kamer Rouge period, the lack of judicial and bar independence, and the political evolution of the ruling party and opposition. Ms. Morris then discussed the circumstances experienced by Cambodian activists and the difficulties they face, such as criminal sanctions, violence, and political pressure.
March 19, 2014
Guest Speaker: Trevor Shaw
Meeting Title/Topic: Criminal Law Reform in a Climate of Hyper-Violence: The Central American Experience
Synopsis: This was a joint meeting held with the CBABC Criminal Justice - Vancouver Section.
June 12, 2014
Guest Speakers: Robert Hughes and Katherine Fobear
Meeting Title/Topic: Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act: Human Rights Implications for Ugandans Domestically and Abroad.
Synopsis: This was a joint meeting held with the CBABC SOGIC Section. Uganda has recently passed legislation to criminalize same sex relations – this legislation (the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014) includes a penalty of a life sentence in jail. Guest speakers Robert Hughes, an immigration and refugee lawyer specializing in matters relating to the human rights of LGBTQ individuals, and Katherine Fobear, a PhD student at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, whose current research involves the intersection of transitional justice and queer lives in areas of conflict, presented on the context surrounding the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, and its human rights implications for Ugandans, both domestically in Uganda, and abroad.