The Government of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has
turned its back on Canada's traditional role on the world stage.


Canada Hosted the 2nd World Congress Against The Death Penalty in Montreal October 6-9, 2004

" If this wretched, demeaning law goes back on the books
everyone of us in this society is demeaned by it. "
- Pierre Burton, Canadian Author

The only Canadian on Death Row in the U.S.

Ronald Smith - Death Row, Montana

On November 1, 2007 Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announced the reversal of Canada's long standing policy by the
Conservative Harper Government to no longer advocate for clemency on behalf of Canadian's sentenced to death in the U.S.

On April 8, 2009 Justice Robert Barnes of the Federal Court of Canada condemned Prime Minister Harper and other senior officials for arbitrarily stitching together a revamped stand on clemency that reversed long-standing policy, effectively abandoning Mr. Smith to be executed. Judge Barnes said that fundamental fairness dictates that Canada move quickly to exert its diplomatic influence to stave off Mr. Smith's impending execution and pave the way for his possible transfer to a prison in Canada.

Canadian officials have recently made agreements with Washington to repatriate Canadian Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay
 after his conviction on terrorism charges, even though he was never under sentence of death, however, to date Canadian officials have yet to secure the transfer of Ronald Smith, despite the federal court order for Harper to do so !

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Source CBC News

Washington State Prosecutor gives assurances the Death Penalty will not be pursued as a prerequisite to extradition arrangements.

On March 23, 1999, CCADP Directors/Co-Founders Dave Parkinson and Tracy Lamourie were invited to meet with the Italian Ambassador to Canada
and Italian Senators Melchiorre Cirami and Fausto Marchetti as guests of the Italian Embassy in Ottawa.
The Senators were here to speak with us and our government about their concern that Canada should not be sending people to the US to face possible execution. 
The Italian Senators were since granted Intervenor Status in the Supreme Court case fight against the extradition.
 
The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark decision that prevents Canada from extradition to face death sentences,
with the help of Amnesty International, the International Centre for Criminal Law & Human Rights, the Criminal Lawyers Association,
the Washington Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers, the Senate of the Republic of Italy, and Canadian Lawyers Clayton Ruby,
Ed Greenspan and James Lockyer amongst others, capital punishment in Canada or against Canadians has been rendered unconstitutional once and for all.

   Read the Supreme Court of Canada's Landmark Decision 
 Assurances must now be given before extradition to Jurisdictions with capital punishment 
http://ccadp.org/canada-supremecourt.htm
 The court's reasoning "would prevent any right-wing government from reintroducing the death penalty
   in Canada, It's now a violation of section seven of the Charter."   -  Lawyer Clayton Ruby.

 "This decision has grave implications for whether Canada can ever bring back the death penalty," 
- Errol Mendes, professor of constitutional law University of Ottawa.

THE DEATH PENALTY IN CANADA: FACTS, FIGURES AND MILESTONES
  Click above for information provided by:  Mark Warren-Amnesty International, Ottawa

    Calls for a Public Inquiry Ignored !

William Sampson - Canadian Citizen in Saudi Arabia RELEASED !
Held for months without consular assistance or access to any legal representation while in custody, Canadian William Samson and
British citizen Alexander Mitchell are forced to confess on Saudi National television for a crime they may not have committed. 
Under Saudi Arabian law they would have been subject to death by beheading. 

Visit the pages the CCADP has set up on their behalf for news on the situation.
Mr.Sampson has since spoken out loudly and critically of the Canadian governments lack of action in his case,
and other recent cases and has demanded that there be an official inquiry.

                  Executed Canadian's Memorial Webpages       

 

Toronto Resident Nguyen Thi Hiep
Canadian Nguyen Thi Hiep - Executed by Vietnam, April 24, 2000
Nguyen Thi Hiep was executed despite assurances by the Vietnamese government that they would postpone any execution dates until
a review of evidence pointing to her innocence between Toronto Detectives and Saigon police. 
Despite pleas from Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, President Clinton and Jesse Jackson,
Vietnamese officials executed her without any notice, in breach of their promise.   
The Vietnamese Government failed to even notify Canadian officials of her execution Monday, April 24, 2000.
 
As a result the Canadian Government has recalled the ambassador.  Canada is now boycotting the celebrations marking
 the 25th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and canceled all scheduled participation in the events.
The Vietnamese government is now reviewing the life sentence imposed on her Mother who was also
wrongfully convicted in this case, in order to restore normal relations with Canadian officials.

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Joseph Stanley Faulder, The First Canadian Citizen
To Be Executed By The USA in 46 Years.

Canadian Stan Faulder - Texecuted June 17, 1999
President George W. Bush Kills Canadian Stan Faulder June 17, 1999 as Texas Governor
Mr. Faulder was on Death Row for 15 years before the Canadian government even learned of his imprisonment ! 
Executed by George W. Bush in direct violation of international law and treaty.

Stanley Faulder wanted to thank all Canadian citizens as well as the Canadian Parliamentarian Delegations for all their support. 
He expressed his sincere hope that Canadians would keep up the fight against the death penalty.

 
International Lawbreaker Texecutioner George W. Bush goes ahead with the
execution of Canadian Stan Faulder after ignoring the international outrage:
Mary Robinson - U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights, 
Madeline Albright - calls from the U.N. , 
Desmond Tutu - South African Archbishop,
OAS - Organization of American States,
Lloyd Axworthy - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister,
As well as a delegation of V.I.P's from Canada...
 
All this the same week as he announces his bid for the Presidency !
Does this mean the end of international law as we know it ?

The CCADP was the First International Organization to challenge
Texas Governor George W. Bush 2 years before he became president

Toronto, Ontario, Wednesday, August 12, 1998 —
Ontario's Solicitor General Bob Runciman earlier today called for the reinstatement of capital punishment.
The Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty finds Mr. Runciman’s comments to be highly inappropriate and needlessly
inflammatory in this time of grief for the family and friends of slain Metro Police Detective Bill Hancox.
Mr Runciman’s admission that he favours capital punishment “whether it is or is not an appropriate deterrent” is vengeful thinking,
and serves only to perpetuate the cycle of violence.  In addition it prolongs the grieving process of the victims family.
A person in Mr. Runciman’s political position should speak from a factual not an emotional perspective.
With respect to his comments regarding “- the (Paul) Bernardos of the world, the Clifford Olsons of the world.”
We would like to remind Mr.Runciman of the David Milgaards, and the Guy Paul Morins of the world.
Even with “all possible protections” and fail-safe mechanisms in place, there is no guarantee that mistakes will not occur.
Some decisions are irreversible.

Ontario Premier Mike Harris' response To The CCADPs email regarding Bob Runciman's comments
calling for a return to capital punishment in Canada after a high profile killing of a Toronto police officer.

Death Penalty Bill introduced by The Reform Party of Canada
Read above for the text of the last Reform party private members bill they attempted to pass.
The supreme court of Canada has since ruled capital punishment is in violation of the constitution.

                   More Canadian Websites                  

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the subject of the movie THE HURRICANE, now lives in Toronto and worked for years as the
Executive Director of the Association In Defense of The Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) before retiring from public life.

AIDWYC 
Association In Defense Of The Wrongly Convicted
AIDWYC
111 Peter St. Suite 626
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M5V 2H1
 
Phone: 1-800-249-1329 (in Canada)
416-504-7500 (Outside of Canada)
Email: contact@aidwyc.org

CBC ARCHIVES Death Penalty Debate

STUDENT ESSAYS ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN CANADA
 
JUSTICE FOR JIMMY DENNIS - CANADIAN SUPPORT PAGE

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The CCADP has offered free webspace to over 1000 Death Row Prisoners Since 1998

"The Eyes Of The World Are Watching Now"

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Last updated April 23, 2010  Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
This page is maintained and updated by Dave Parkinson and Tracy Lamourie