Dennis Edney, the lawyer best known for defending Omar Khadr, is one of several high-profile participants in the annual law students conference this week.
Keeping it Civil: Exploring Civil Liberties and the Charter in Canada addresses the theme of rights and freedoms in Canada from a legal perspective.
In its fourth year, the conference is a two-day affair organized by the Society of Law Students (SLS) and features a variety of distinguished legal guests and student and faculty presenters.
Second-year TRU law student Melissa Boyles is the conference media director and is pleased with the breadth of content and presenters’ expertise.
“Our goal is that conference participants will gain a better understanding of the importance of civil rights and freedoms and the evolution of the law,” said Boyles, a second-year law student from Calgary.
Session topics include privacy and social media, death with dignity, sports dispute resolution, critiques of the prison system, aboriginal law and health law.
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General of BC, Richard Fyfe, QC, led an opening session on access to justice, while Wednesday afternoon’s keynote from lawyer Michael Vonn, policy director for the BC Civil Liberties Association, will examine the anti-terror bill, C-51.
Edney takes to the podium Thursday afternoon at 4:30 and is best-known for defending Khadr after the teen was charged with murdering an American soldier in Afghanistan. Khadr, a Canadian, subsequently spent 10 years under US watch in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.
His presence, notes Boyles, has definitely created a buzz amongst students and upwards of several hundred people are expected to attend. The keynote sessions are located on the third floor of the Old Main building.
The conference has also attracted students from other disciplines. A law and politics class from the department of philosophy, history and politics is attending Vonn’s keynote.
For more information:
Melissa Boyles, Media Director SLS Conference
403-862-1450, truslsconference@gmail.com
