NEWS RELEASES
LLOYD AXWORTHY APPOINTS ADVISOR ONCONSULAR MATTERS
April 18, 1996 No. 72
LLOYD AXWORTHY APPOINTS ADVISOR ON
CONSULAR MATTERS
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced the appointment of
Professor Edward Ratushny as Advisor on Consular Affairs. In making the
announcement, the Minister emphasized his commitment to ensuring that Canadians
continue to receive the highest quality of consular service when they travel and
live abroad.
"Consular cases are increasingly complex, given the intricacies of international
law and differing legal systems in countries around the world. Mr. Ratushny is a
recognized legal expert who can explore all aspects of consular issues and provide
advice on government action," said Mr. Axworthy. "I view the Advisor's role as
supplementing the excellent services already provided by the Department's consular
personnel in Ottawa and abroad."
Mr. Ratushny will report directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He will
review current multilateral and bilateral legal instruments that assist Canadians
in difficulty. At the Minister's request, he will also provide advice and
guidance on individual cases that require exceptional attention and detailed
research.
Mr. Ratushny is one of Canada's most respected experts on criminal and
constitutional law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He has been a
professor of law at the University of Ottawa since 1975 and has written
extensively on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and on Canadian
criminal law.
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A biographical note and backgrounder are attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Edward Joseph Ratushny -- B.A., 1964, LL.B. (Bachelor of Law), 1965, University of
Saskatchewan; LL.M. (Master of Laws), 1968, London School of Economics (England);
LL.M. (Master of Laws), 1972, S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Sciences), 1979,
University of Michigan.
A professor since 1970 at Windsor and Ottawa Law Schools, Mr. Ratushny is an
expert in Constitutional and Administrative Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence,
and Human Rights and Civil Liberties. He has worked as Special Advisor and
consultant to numerous federal ministers and to government departments and
agencies. These include Justice, Transport, Solicitor-General, federal and
provincial Law Reform Commissions, Canada Broadcasting Corporation, and the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police.
Mr. Ratushny has served as a member on or counsel to several governmental boards,
commissions and task forces in the areas of Human Rights, Environmental Law, and
Immigration Law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel by the Government of Canada in
1985.
Mr. Ratushny and his wife, Lynn, reside in Ottawa and have three children.
BACKGROUNDER
Millions of Canadians travel abroad each year -- for pleasure, business and family
reasons. For the most part, they do so without trouble or incident.
Nevertheless, a significant number encounter serious and often tragic difficulties
in other countries. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
provides detailed consular information and advice to Canadians upon the issuance
of a passport.
The misfortunes faced by Canadians when abroad often mirror those encountered at
home -- but in a foreign environment, with language and social differences, the
problems are magnified. Situations can range from the routine to the complex,
such as international child abductions, long-term imprisonment and even death
sentences. Other consular incidents include lost passports, accidents, assaults,
murders, death by natural causes or by suicide, natural and civil disasters, and
financial and medical problems.
Canadians in difficulty are helped through a world-wide network of 250 offices,
primarily found in Canadian embassies and consulates abroad. Consular services
are also provided to Canadians through 85 honorary consulates and through co-operative agreements with the governments of Australia, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom. Approximately 600 persons are involved in providing consular
assistance in these various offices.
The international Canadian consular network is co-ordinated from the Ottawa
headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, through
a sophisticated communications system that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Canadians anywhere in the world can get round-the-clock assistance by calling one
of the overseas offices or by calling direct to the co-ordinating office in
Ottawa. Relatives and friends in Canada can request assistance for persons in
difficulty overseas by calling 1-800-267-6788.
Canadians abroad are subject to the laws, procedures and institutions of the
countries they are in. Given the intricacies of each country's system, many
problems involve complex legal issues. The Advisor on Consular Affairs, Mr.
Edward Ratushny, will review current multilateral and bilateral legal instruments
that assist Canadians in difficulty. At the request of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, he will also provide advice and guidance on individual cases that require
exceptional attention and detailed research.
As one of Canada's most respected experts on criminal and constitutional law,
Professor Ratushny is particularly suited to give advice on major consular
difficulties and to help identify options to assist Canadians. His advice and
guidance will be particularly important on non-routine cases that involve the
arrest and detention of Canadians, international child abductions and deaths in
questionable circumstances.
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