Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice, current Chancellor of York University and distinguished international jurist, Peter deCarteret Cory (right), will present this year’s John Holmes Memorial Lecture at Glendon. The lecture titled, “The trouble with troubles: Reflections on Northern Ireland”, will take place Tuesday, March 7, at 7:30pm.
Cory’s lecture will present his thoughts and reflections on his role in an investigation of six controversial murders which took place in Northern Ireland and Ireland. In 2002, he was appointed as commissioner by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and asked to investigate the six killings, which involved allegations of collusion between members of the security forces and loyalist or republican paramilitaries. Following intense interest from parties involved in the peace process, Cory reported his findings in October 2003 to the governments of Ireland and the UK urging judicial inquiries into several of the cases.
A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Cory was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989. Since his retirement from the court in 1999, he has continued to play a leading international role and has been sought out for his legal and public policy expertise. In recognition of his legal contribution and record of public service, Cory was appointed as a Companion to the Order of Canada in 2002,
This informative lecture presents an vivid portrait of a pivotal point in the tangled history of Ireland and the UK. Open to all members of the York community, it will take place in the Room 204 York Hall Main at Glendon College.
More about the John Holmes Memorial Lecture
The annual John Holmes Memorial Lecture honours the late John W. Holmes, O.C., Canadian diplomat, writer, administrator and teacher who was a professor of international relations at York’s Glendon College from 1971 to 1981.
Right: John Holmes
Shortly after his death in 1988, a memorial fund was set up at Glendon under the chairmanship of Albert Tucker, University Professor in the Department of History, to make possible a series of annual lectures sponsored by Glendon’s International Studies Program.
Glendon’s International Studies Program is a multidisciplinary program which aims at delivering a sound liberal arts education to its students, with special emphasis placed on the theories and practices of international relations. The program is offered by three different departments, Economics, History and Political Science, with relevant courses contributed to it by other academic departments at Glendon. In keeping with the academic policy of Glendon, the courses in this program are taught in both English and French.
John Holmes took a keen interest in this program and enthusiastically helped in its development. Under its auspices he himself taught courses in Canadian foreign policy, international organization, and diplomacy.
The first John Holmes Memorial Lecture was delivered in 1989 by Brian Urquhart, retired under-secretary general of the United Nations.
For more information call 416-487-6824 or e-mail compr@glendon.yorku.ca.