Dean Peroff

Peter Leuprecht

Presently Director of the Montreal Institute of International Studies and Professor at the Département des sciences juridiques de l'UQAM, Peter Leuprecht, Doctor of law, University of Innsbruck (Austria), was an official in the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, France) from 1961 to 1997. From 1980 to 1993, he held the position of Director of Human Rights and in 1993 he held the elected position of Deputy Secretary-General for the Council of Europe.

Dr. Leuprecht has taught law at the University of Innsbruck, Universities of Strasbourg and Nancy (France) and at the European Academy of Law in Florence (Italy). From 1999 to 2003 he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law of McGill University.

He is the author of numerous publications in the field of international law and human rights and has acted in the role of advisor to the Canadian Department of Justice. He has made a life long commitment to international human rights:

• Awarded the "Prix du Civisme Européen" in 1991.
• Member of a committee of four "Sages" which prepared a human rights Agenda for the European Union.
• Since 2000, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN for human rights in Cambodia.

Gar Pardy

Mr. Gar Pardy served thirty-six years in the Canadian foreign service in Ottawa, New Delhi, Nairobi, Washington, D.C., and Central America. He was Canadian ambassador to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Previously he worked for the Meteorological Service of Canada in Gander, Goose Bay and Frobisher Bay. He retired in 2003. Previous to retirement he was Director and Director General for Canadian consular services from 1992 to 2003. He was awarded the Head of Public Service Award in 2001 and was recognized by several organizations for his work in assisting Canadians overseas. He now writes and comments on international affairs.

Shirley Heafey

Ms. Heafey, the past Chair and CEO of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC) has been the Public Complaint Director for the Calgary Police Commission since November 2007. She is a lawyer and a Board member of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA).

Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Heafey was involved in representing the BCCLA in a myriad of police and national security-related issues, including the aftermath of the Arar Commission Inquiry Report, the transfer of Afghan detainees to Afghan authorities by the Canadian forces, review of the B.C. Police Act and counsel at the Iacobucci Inquiry investigating the role of federal authorities in the torture and imprisonment of 3 Canadian men.

During her tenure at the CPC, from 1997 to 2005, Ms. Heafey presided over quasi-judicial hearings into public complaints about police conduct. She made two sets of significant submissions that were adopted by Associate Chief Justice O’Connor in the Arar Commission Inquiry. As Chair, she traveled extensively across Canada to promote understanding and public awareness of the CPC's important role.

Ms. Heafey was in private practice for 5 years prior to 1997, focusing on employment and labour law. She was also a part-time Assistant City Solicitor (Ottawa) conducting litigation and defending on-duty Ottawa Police officers.

From 1984 to 1988, Ms. Heafey was Director of Complaints at the newly-formed Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC), a civilian agency that oversees the activities of CSIS. She was responsible for conducting investigations and advising on matters of national security.

Ms. Heafey is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Law School. She studied Islamic Law and Administrative Law at Harvard Law School, where she also received certificates in Advanced Negotiation and Mediation. Ms. Heafey has two grown daughters, one of whom lives in Calgary, and 4 grandchildren.