TORONTO – David Matas, senior legal counsel for B’nai Brith Canada, was invested into the prestigious Order of Canada last Wednesday at a ceremony at Rideau Hall. 

The Order of Canada was created in 1967, during Canada’s centennial year, to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.

A human rights lawyer of international renown, Matas has served as B’nai Brith’s senior legal counsel since 1989. He is a key member of the advisory board of Canada’s National Holocaust Task Force, having worked tirelessly to shape the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research in its formative years and to promote Canada’s full member state status within it. He maintains a refugee, immigration and human rights law practice in Winnipeg, and has authored several books promoting human rights, including Aftershock: Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism and Bloody Words: Hate and Free Speech. A former president of the Canadian Council of Refugees, he has been active in such organizations as Amnesty International, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, and the International Commission of Jurists. He has also been a member of numerous delegations to international fora, including the United Nations and its agencies, and has testified before many parliamentary hearings, where he has championed the victims of injustice and atrocity.

Throughout his career, Matas has also been instrumental in the struggle to try to bring Nazi-era war criminals to justice in Canada. His book, Justice delayed: Nazi war criminals in Canada, is considered an essential text on the subject. He has presented numerous papers on the intricacies of prosecuting modern-day war criminals as well.

Earlier this year, Matas and former Canadian cabinet minister David Kilgour were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their meticulous investigation into the organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, stated: “Matas’ investiture into the Order of Canada honoured and validated his many decades of crucial human rights work on behalf of people whose voices were being silenced by tyranny and oppression.”

“Matas is a tireless advocate for the Jewish people’s right to self determination and security in their own ancestral homeland,” said Ruth Klein, national director of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights, and executive director of the National Holocaust Task Force. “He has used his extensive legal knowledge to debunk many myths and libels about alleged violations of international law by Israel, as well as to block attempts to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state.”

The recipient of numerous awards and honours, including an honourary doctorate from Concordia University, Matas officially became a member of the Order of Canada in the fall of 2008, but was invested into the Order and received the insignia this past week.