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Human Rights Lawyer Irwin Cotler Named Canadian Justice Minister
(Jerusalem Post) Melissa Radler - Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on Friday named human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler, 63, his justice minister and attorney-general. For Canadian Jews, Cotler's commitment to equal rights for all is a boon for a community that has experienced a recent surge in anti-Semitism, and has long worried about the government's commitment to Israel. The Ottawa Citizen called Cotler's appointment a "contrarian inspiration," writing that "Mr. Cotler actually believes in justice - has spent his whole life fighting for it." A Jewish Montrealer and law professor at McGill University first elected to Parliament in 1999, Cotler provided legal counsel for prisoners of conscience Nelson Mandela and Natan Sharansky.