# David Matas

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Canadian lawyer

David Matas Born (1943-08-29) 29 August 1943 (age 82) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

**David Matas** [CM](/source/Order_of_Canada) (born 29 August 1943) is the senior legal counsel of [B'nai Brith Canada](/source/B'nai_Brith_Canada) who currently resides in [Winnipeg, Manitoba](/source/Winnipeg). He has maintained a private practice in [refugee](/source/Canadian_refugee_law), [immigration](/source/Canadian_immigration_and_refugee_law), and [human rights law](/source/Human_rights_law_in_Canada) since 1979, and has published various books and manuscripts.

Criticizing [impunity](/source/Impunity) for human rights abuses, Matas stated: "Nothing emboldens a criminal so much as the knowledge he can get away with a crime."[1]

## Early life and education

David Matas was born in [Winnipeg, Manitoba](/source/Winnipeg); his grandparents were immigrants from [Ukraine](/source/Ukraine) and [Romania](/source/Romania).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] He obtained a B.A. from the [University of Manitoba](/source/University_of_Manitoba) in 1964, and a Master of Arts from [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University) in 1965. In 1967, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Jurisprudence) from the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford), England, and in 1968 he obtained a [Bachelor of Civil Law](/source/Bachelor_of_Civil_Law). In 1969, he became a [Middle Temple](/source/Middle_Temple) [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) [Barrister](/source/Barrister), and he joined the [Bar](/source/Bar_association) of [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba) in 1971.

## Career

### Government work

Matas served as a Law Clerk to the [Chief Justice of Canada](/source/Chief_Justice_of_Canada) in 1968–69, and was a member of the Foreign Ownership Working Group, [Government of Canada](/source/Government_of_Canada), and was special assistant to the [Solicitor General of Canada](/source/Solicitor_General_of_Canada) in 1971–72.

He served as a member of the Canadian delegation to the [United Nations General Assembly](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly), the Task Force on Immigration Practices & Procedures, the Canadian delegation to the United Nations Conference on an [International Criminal Court](/source/International_Criminal_Court) 1998, the Canadian Delegation to the Stockholm International Forum on the [Holocaust](/source/Holocaust), and from 1997 until 2003, the [Director of the International Centre for Human Rights & Democratic Development](/source/International_Centre_for_Human_Rights_and_Democratic_Development). On 13 November 2009, Matas was appointed to the board of this centre, also known as Rights and Democracy (R&D), which was headed by Professor Aural Braun. Shortly afterwards, a number of illicit actions by the staff of R&D and secret grants to radical organizations were exposed,[2][3] and Matas joined Braun in initiating a major investigation.[4] As a result of the investigations, funding was cut and in 2012, the government closed the Rights and Democracy framework.

### Teaching work

Matas has also taught [constitutional law](/source/Constitutional_law) at [McGill University](/source/McGill_University), Introductory Economics, Canadian Economic Problems, [International Law](/source/International_Law), [Civil Liberties](/source/Civil_Liberties), and [Immigration & Refugee Law](/source/Immigration_law), at the University of Manitoba.

### Politics

David Matas ran for the [House of Commons of Canada](/source/House_of_Commons_of_Canada) in the [1979](/source/1979_Canadian_federal_election) and [1980 federal elections](/source/1980_Canadian_federal_election) as a [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) candidate in [Winnipeg—Assiniboine](/source/Winnipeg%E2%80%94Assiniboine) district and came in second place both times.

In 2009, Matas was a signatory to a letter opposing the appointment of [Christine Chinkin](/source/Christine_Chinkin) to a UN [Human Rights Council](/source/Human_Rights_Council) fact finding mission on the 2008-2009 [Gaza War](/source/Gaza_War_(2008%E2%80%9309)) (also known as the Goldstone Commission), alleging that Chinkin signed a prejudicial letter that indicated that, without examining the evidence, she "concluded that Israel was acting contrary to international law."[5] Chinkin did not resign, and endorsed the UN [report](/source/Goldstone_report), which was later denounced as biased and ill-informed by one of its authors, Judge Goldstone. The report's other authors stand by its content and criticized Goldstone's reversal of position on it.

In his book "Aftershock: Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism", Matas accused critics of [Israel](/source/Israel)'s post-1967 war policies regarding the [West Bank](/source/West_Bank) of having double standards in not also criticizing [China](/source/China)'s occupation of [Tibet](/source/Tibet).[6]

### Human rights work

Nothing emboldens a criminal so much as the knowledge he can get away with a crime. That was the message the failure to prosecute for the [Armenian massacre](/source/Armenian_genocide) gave to the Nazis. We ignore the lesson of the Holocaust at our peril.

— Matas in 1989[7][1]

He has been actively involved as Director of the International Defence & Aid Fund for [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) in Canada, Director of Canada-South Africa Cooperation, Co-chair Canadian [Helsinki Watch](/source/Helsinki_Watch) Group, Director Manitoba Association of Rights & Liberties, [Amnesty International](/source/Amnesty_International), B'nai Brith Canada, the [Canadian Bar Association](/source/Canadian_Bar_Association), the [International Commission of Jurists](/source/International_Commission_of_Jurists), [Canadian Jewish Congress](/source/Canadian_Jewish_Congress), and [Canadian Council for Refugees](/source/Canadian_Council_for_Refugees).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

He represented [Lai Changxing](/source/Lai_Changxing) in his extradition proceedings.[8]

He is also counsel for *Justice for Jews from Arab Countries* and is co-author of "Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries: The Case for Rights and Redress".

He presented various papers on the legal issue of prosecuting war criminals in Bangladesh.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

#### Organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China

Main articles: [Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China](/source/Organ_harvesting_from_Falun_Gong_practitioners_in_China) and [Persecution of Falun Gong § Organ harvesting](/source/Persecution_of_Falun_Gong#Organ_harvesting)

In 2006, with [David Kilgour](/source/David_Kilgour) he released the [Kilgour-Matas report](/source/Kilgour-Matas_report),[9] which stated "the source of 41,500 transplants for the six year period 2000 to 2005 is unexplained" and "we believe that there has been and continues today to be large scale organ seizures from unwilling [Falun Gong](/source/Falun_Gong) practitioners".[9] In 2009, they published an updated version of the report as a book.[10] They visited about 50 countries to raise awareness of the situation.[11] Later Matas stated, "We estimate in the period between 2000 and 2005, there were 41,500 transplants which have no other explained source".[12]

In 2012, *State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China*, edited by Matas and Torsten Trey, was published with essays from Gabriel Danovitch, Professor of Medicine,[13] [Arthur Caplan](/source/Arthur_Caplan), Professor of Bioethics,[14] Jacob Lavee, cardiothoracic surgeon,[15] Ghazali Ahmad,[16] Maria Fiatarone Singh,[17] Torsten Trey,[18] [Ethan Gutmann](/source/Ethan_Gutmann) and Matas.[19][20][21][22]

## CBA Committee on the Constitution

Matas is a member of the [Canadian Bar Association](/source/Canadian_Bar_Association). In 1977, following the election of the [separatist](/source/Quebec_sovereignty_movement) [Parti Québécois](/source/Parti_Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois) government the previous year, he was asked to sit on the [CBA Committee on the Constitution](/source/Jacques_Viau#CBA_Committee_on_the_Constitution). The committee's mandate was to study and make recommendations on the [Constitution of Canada](/source/Constitution_of_Canada).[23] The members of the committee were drawn from each province of Canada, and included two future [provincial premiers](/source/Premier_(Canada)), a future Supreme Court of Canada justice, two future provincial chief justices, and a future Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. The Committee presented its report to the CBA at the next annual meeting, in 1978. The committee made wide-ranging recommendations for constitutional change, including a completely new constitution, abolishing the monarchy, changing the Senate, entrenching language rights and a bill of rights, and changing the balance of powers between the federal government and the provinces.

## Works

- *Justice Delayed: Nazi War Criminals in Canada* (1987) with Susan Charendoff, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0920197424](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0920197424)

- *Closing the Doors: The Failure of Refugee Protection* (1989) with Ilana Simon, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0920197813](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0920197813)

- *No More: The Battle Against Human Rights Violations* (1996), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1550022216](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1550022216)

- *Bloody Words: Hate and Free Speech* (2000), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1553310006](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1553310006)

- *Aftershock: Anti-Zionism & Antisemitism* (2005), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1550025538](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1550025538)

- *[Bloody Harvest, The killing of Falun Gong for their organs](http://bloodyharvest.info/about/)* (2009) with David Kilgour

- *Why Did You Do That?: The Autobiography of a Human Rights Advocate* (2015), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-927079-34-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-927079-34-8)

- [Durban Conference: Civil Society Smashes Up](https://web.archive.org/web/20120414161949/http://www.bnaibrith.ca/institute/articles/dm020107.html), Bnai Brith Canada, 2002

Matas has also appeared in the documentaries *Red Reign: The Bloody Harvest of China's Prisoners* (2013) [24] and *[Human Harvest](/source/Human_Harvest_(film))* (2014).[25]

## Awards

Matas is the recipient of numerous honours and awards including:[26]

- Governor-General's Confederation Medal in 1992

- Outstanding Achievement Award from the Manitoba Association of Rights & Liberties in 1996

- League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada Midwest Region Human Rights Achievement Award in 1999

- Vancouver Interfaith Brotherhood Person of the Year 2006

- Appointed a member of the [Order of Canada](/source/Order_of_Canada) on October 23, 2008.[27][28]

- For their [organ harvesting](/source/Persecution_of_Falun_Gong#Organ_harvesting) work Matas and Kilgour won the 2009 Human Rights Award from the German-based [International Society for Human Rights](/source/International_Society_for_Human_Rights) and were nominated for the [2010 Nobel Peace Prize](/source/2010_Nobel_Peace_Prize).[11]

## Professional discipline

Matas is a member of the [Law Society of Manitoba](/source/Law_Society_of_Manitoba), the regulatory body for lawyers in that province. On April 11, 2024, he admitted in disciplinary proceedings that he had breached an undertaking he had made to the Law Society, that he would only practise with the assistance of other lawyers. The Law Society disciplinary body noted that his breach of his undertaking did not cause any harm to his clients, but felt it necessary to issue a reprimand. It also directed that he pay costs of $1,500 in relation to the disciplinary proceedings.[29]

## See also

- [Ethan Gutmann](/source/Ethan_Gutmann)

- [David Kilgour](/source/David_Kilgour)

- [Edward McMillan-Scott](/source/Edward_McMillan-Scott)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cassese_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cassese_1-1) Cassese, Antonio (1998). ["Reflections on International Criminal Justice"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1097333). *The Modern Law Review*. **61** (1): 1–10. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/1468-2230.00124](https://doi.org/10.1111%2F1468-2230.00124). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0026-7961](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0026-7961). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [1097333](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1097333).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Replace Rights and Democracy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120614125605/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Replace+Rights+Democracy/6338406/story.html). 2012-06-14. Archived from the original on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2016-08-21.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_bot:_original_URL_status_unknown))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Seligman, Steven; Steinberg, Gerald (2012). [*The Politics of Canadian Government Funding for Advocacy NGOs*](http://www.ngo-monitor.org/books/the_politics_of_canadian_government_funding_for_advocacy_ngos/). NGO Monitor.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Matas, David (26 February 2010). ["The Rights and Democracy twist"](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-rights-and-democracy-twist/article1314283/). *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)*. Retrieved 2016-08-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Letter to Professor Christine Chinkin"](http://blog.unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cdn-lawyers-support-recusal-of-biased-un-fact-finder-sept-11-09doc.pdf) (PDF). *unwatch.org*. 2009-09-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Matas, David (2005-09-03). [*Aftershock: Anti-zionism and Anti-semitism*](https://books.google.com/books?id=DYR7SqcMe9gC&pg=PA67). Dundurn. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781550025538](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781550025538).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dadrian_7-0)** Dadrian, Vahakn (1998). ["The Historical and Legal Interconnections Between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust: From Impunity to Retributive Justice"](https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/yjil/vol23/iss2/5/). *Yale Journal of International Law*. **23** (2). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0889-7743](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0889-7743).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Bill Benedict (09 August 2009) ["China's most wanted man admits guilt"](http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2009/08/chinas_most_wanted_man_admits.html), cleveland.com

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-OH_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-OH_9-1) David Kilgour, David Matas (6 July 2006, revised 31 January 2007) [An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China](http://organharvestinvestigation.net) (free in 22 languages) organharvestinvestigation.net

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** David Kilgour, David Matas (2009) [Bloody Harvest, The killing of Falun Gong for their organs](http://www.seraphimeditions.com/bloody-harvest.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141018063316/http://www.seraphimeditions.com/bloody-harvest.html) 2014-10-18 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) p. 232 seraphimeditions.com

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WFP_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WFP_11-1) ["Crusader up for Nobel Prize, Lawyer lauded for investigating abuses in China"](http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crusader-up-for-nobel-prize-84838397.html). Winnipeg Free Press. 20 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Killed for Organs: China's Secret State Transplant Business](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvAOOwvJMZs) (2012) YouTube video, 8 minutes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [G Danovitch articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Danovitch+G), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [AL Caplan articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Caplan+AL), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [J Lavee articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Lavee+J), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [G Ahmad articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Ahmad+G), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [M Fiatarone Singh articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Fiatarone+Singh+M), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [T Trey articles](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Trey+T), US National Library of Medicine

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["State Organs: Introduction"](http://www.seraphimeditions.com/pdfs/Introduction-State-Organs) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130527201924/http://www.seraphimeditions.com/pdfs/Introduction-State-Organs) 2013-05-27 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) seraphimeditions.com

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Rebeca Kuropatwa (19 September 2012) ["New Matas book reveals transplant abuse"](http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2012/09/19/new-matas-book-reveals-transplant-abuse) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150402124932/http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2012/09/19/new-matas-book-reveals-transplant-abuse) 2015-04-02 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Jewish Tribune

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** [Mark Colvin](/source/Mark_Colvin) (27 November 2012) ["Parliament to hear evidence of transplant abuse in China"](http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3642188.htm), [Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** David Matas, Torsten Trey (2012) [State Organs, Transplant Abuse in China](http://www.seraphimeditions.com/state-organs.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150224121713/http://seraphimeditions.com/state-organs.html) 2015-02-24 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) seraphimeditions.com p. 144

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** CBA Resolution 77-01-A: Constitution of Canada - Special Committee; reproduced in *Canadian Bar Association: Towards a new Canada - Committee on the Constitution*, p. xv.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Red Reign trailer"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwe_jxzomiw), (4 minutes) youtube, 30 July 2013

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** [Human Harvest (aka Davids and Goliath) Official Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ZmFLi0lgY), (2 minutes) youtube, 24 September 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["David Matas"](http://www.seraphimeditions.com/david-matas-david-kilgour.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924100453/http://www.seraphimeditions.com/david-matas-david-kilgour.html) 2015-09-24 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Seraphim Editions

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (June 11, 2018). ["Recipients"](https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients). *The Governor General of Canada*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** ["Governor General Announces New Appointments to the Order of Canada"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170614142608/https://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5601). *archive.gg.ca*. 2008-12-30. Archived from [the original](https://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5601) on 2017-06-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-29)** ["'Otherwise unimpeachable' Manitoba lawyer pleads guilty to professional misconduct"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/david-matas-professional-misconduct-1.7220863), *CBC News*, May 31, 2024.

## External links

- [Biography](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180550/http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/hrsj-bio-matas) at University of Winnipeg

- [Biography](http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/meechlake/keynote.html) at Canadian Political Science Students' Association

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David Matas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Matas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Matas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.