Law Group Asks For Legal Action Against G. W. Bush

Law group asks for legal action against G. W. Bush | Press Release

Vancouver, B.C. Canada – A lawyers’ group has again demanded the Canadian government to bar former U.S. president George W. Bush from Canada, citing the well documented involvement of Bush and other members of the Bush administration in torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Mr. Bush is scheduled to speak in Toronto May 29.

In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and top ministers, copied to other MPs, Lawyers Against the War - LAW advises that G. W. Bush is inadmissible to Canada, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – IRPA, due to the fact that evidence of Bush’ involvement in torture and other crimes meets (surpasses) the “reasonable grounds to believe” test.

LAW says if Bush is allowed into Canada, Canadian law and the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment of Treatment- CAT require Canada to either investigate and prosecute him for torture or extradite him to a country that is willing to do so.

The IRPA provisions are part of Canada’s important international duty to make sure that suspected perpetrators of torture have no safe haven wherever they go. The torture offence provisions of both the Criminal Code and the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act - CAHWCA enable Canada to fulfill its companion duty (under CAT) to prosecute and punish torture wherever it happens. Canada is obliged to apply these criminal laws whenever a suspected perpetrator is in Canada or when a victim is a Canadian citizen. Both these conditions apply to G.W. Bush.

In March 2009 the Canada’s prime minister apparently made an executive decision to grant G.W. Bush immunity both from the IRPA and from Canada’s torture laws. To do so was, and is, a violation of Canadian law and of Canada’s most important international law obligations, says LAW spokeswoman, Gail Davidson.

LAW urges Canadians to peacefully express their unshakeable support for strict adherence to Canada’s anti-torture laws and their uncompromising opposition to Canadian officials supporting impunity for suspected perpetrators of torture and other international crimes, by failing or refusing to apply the law.

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Contact:

Gail Davidson

+1 738 0338

law@portal.ca