Professor Michael Byers Lecture

Transferring to Torture:
Canada, Human Rights, and Detainees

Dr. Byers holds a Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law. In addition to being a tenured professor in the Political Science Department he has served as Academic Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues. Dr. Byers' work focuses on the interaction of international law and politics, particularly with respect to human rights, international organizations, and the use of military force and Canada-United States relations. He is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and The Globe and Mail. His most recent book is entitled: Intent for A Nation. What is Canada For?

Background Information

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UBC Dept. of Political Science faculty page

Michael Byers holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Global Politics and International Law. In addition to being a tenured professor in Political Science Department he serves as Academic Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues. ...

Liu Institute for Global Issues faculty page

His work focuses on the interaction of international law and international politics, especially with regard to international organizations, the use of military force, the law of the sea, human rights and Canada-United States relations. ...

Canada Research Chair page

As Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, Michael Byers will investigate the issues surrounding the current international "use-of-force regime," that is, the institutional and legal structures governing the initiation of armed conflict. After the interventions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, some have called into question the long-term viability of such institutions, which are centred around the United Nations.
... Byers will examine the future of Canadian defense policy. At a time when the existing use-of-force regime is under strain, is it reasonable to expect Canada to define its military role as one that is not closely linked to the United States? And just how close should that linkage be? Must Canada compromise its traditional commitment to the international rule of law if allies, most notably the United States, adopt a more "selective" approach to supporting international institutions? ...