The Rule of Law in an Age of Fear: A talk with Dennis Edney, Omar Khadr’s lawyer

Due to unforeseeable technical difficulties, we were only able to record the first 30 minutes of the talk. We apologize for the inconvenience:

The ICLMG, in collaboration with Inter Pares and Octopus Books, presents:

The Rule of Law in an Age of Fear: A talk with Dennis Edney, Omar Khadr’s lawyer

Dennis Edney is a Canadian defence lawyer based in Edmonton, Alberta, and originally from Dundee, Scotland. Dennis and Patricia Edney star in the 2015 Canadian documentary Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr, which looks at Edney’s advocacy for Omar Khadr and features interviews in Edney’s home, where Khadr resided as a guest after being released on bail in 2015. An abridged version of the documentary can be watched online here.

Mr Edney spoke about Omar Khadr’s case and the climate of fear surrounding the war on terror and how it has affected and continues to negatively affect human rights, due process, and the rule of law.

On May 7, 2015, after a 13 year imprisonment, Omar Khadr was finally freed on bail. His ordeal is far from over. There are two upcoming 2016 court challenges:

  • A civil lawsuit against the Canadian government for complicity in his arbitrary detention and cruel and inhumane treatment at the hands of the United States;
  • An appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review in the U.S. to vacate all Omar’s Guantanamo Bay ‘convictions’.

As urged by the United Nations’ Committee Against Torture, the violation of Omar’s rights must be properly remedied.

Poster