Craig Scott (politician)

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Craig Scott
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Toronto—Danforth
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 19, 2012
Preceded by Jack Layton
Personal details
Born (1962-03-14) March 14, 1962[1][2]
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Citizenship Canadian
Political party New Democratic Party
Spouse(s) Kovit Ratchadasri
Alma mater
Occupation law professor

Craig M. Scott (born March 14, 1962) is a Canadian politician and academic. Formerly a law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and a director of the Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security,[3] he was elected as the New Democratic Party candidate in a federal by-election in Toronto—Danforth on March 19, 2012, following the death of Jack Layton.[4]

Background

Scott was born and raised in Windsor, Nova Scotia.[5] From 1979 to 1981, he attended Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada, where he gained the International Baccalaureate Diploma. He then earned undergraduate degrees from McGill University and from the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar at St John's College.[6] He has a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and a Masters of Law from the London School of Economics. His academic specialty is international law[7] with a focus on human rights law.[8] Scott was a professor in the University of Toronto Faculty of Law[9] from 1989 to 2001. He was Osgoode Law School's Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies)[10] from 2001 to 2004 and has remained on the faculty subsequently.[8]

Openly gay, Scott and his partner Kovit Ratchadasri[11] previously owned the Craig Scott Gallery, an art gallery on Berkeley Street near Toronto's Distillery District.

Political career

Scott was selected as the New Democratic Party's candidate for the Toronto—Danforth by-election on January 9, 2012.[12] He won the seat on March 19, 2012 winning 59% of the vote.[13]

Advisor

Scott was an advisor to the African National Congress during its period in exile during the Apartheid era and subsequently assisted in the drafting of portions of the post-apartheid Constitution of South Africa. In 1993-1994, he served as co-counsel for the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the International Court of Justice and has also been involved in human rights issues relating to Iraq, Sri Lanka and Honduras[8] where he was involved with the Truth Commission held in the aftermath of the 2009 Honduran coup d'état.[14]

He also advised rights seeking groups in Canada in regards to legal challenges using the Charter of Rights and Freedoms[8] and assisted Maher Arar in his lawsuit against the Canadian government.[15]

Electoral record

Canadian federal by-election, March 19, 2012
due to the death of Jack Layton
Party Candidate Votes%±ppExpenditures
New DemocraticCraig Scott 19,210 59.44 -1.36
LiberalGrant Gordon 9,215 28.51 +10.89
ConservativeAndrew Keyes 1,736 5.37 -8.95
GreenAdriana Mugnatto-Hamu 1,517 4.69 -1.77
Progressive CanadianDorian Baxter 208 0.64
LibertarianJohn Christopher Recker 133 0.41
IndependentLeslie Bory 77 0.24
Canadian ActionChristopher Porter 75 0.23
IndependentJohn Turmel 57 0.18
UnitedBrian Jedan 55 0.17
IndependentBahman Yazdanfar 36 0.11
Total valid votes/Expense limit 32,319100.00
Total rejected ballots 1500.46-0.13
Turnout 32,46943.58-21.32

References

  1. Craig Scott bio
  2. Kennedy, Brendan (January 10, 2012). "Q&A with Craig Scott — Jack Layton’s successor in Toronto-Danforth". The Star. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  3. Meyer, Carl (May 4, 2011). "How the Afghan mission influenced the election". Embassy Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  4. "Danforth byelection: NDP hangs on to Jack Layton stronghold". Toronto Star, March 19, 2012.
  5. Jackson, David (December 11, 2011). "Getting to bottom of Baillie’s comment". The Chronicle-Herald. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  6. Complete list of Rhodes Scholars
  7. Harvey, Colin (February 14, 2003). "Talk of tort law as a tool for tortured". Times Higher Education Supplment. Retrieved January 10, 2011. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Craig M. Scott". Osgoode Hall Law School Faculty. York University. Retrieved January 9, 2012. 
  9. "U of T investigates law professor in connection with student cheating scandal". CBC News. February 21, 2001. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  10. Conrod, Monique (Mar 28, 2002). "Hearing arguments for Toronto's 2 law schools ; Osgoode Hall's paper chase less often points to Bay Street". Toronto Star. 
  11. "NDP Toronto-Danforth candidate Craig Scott meets party caucus in Ottawa". Toronto Star. January 24, 2012. 
  12. "Craig Scott gets NDP nod to run in by-election in Layton's old riding". Globe and Mail. January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2012. 
  13. "NDP wins in Jack Layton's former riding". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. March 19, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2013. 
  14. Lindell, Rebecca (August 12, 2011). "Honduras rolls out welcome mat for Canadian companies". Global News. Retrieved January 10, 2012. 
  15. Hopper, Tristin (January 9, 2012). "Craig Scott wins NDP nomination for Jack Layton’s Toronto-Danforth riding". National Post. Retrieved January 9, 2012. 

External links

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