Judaism embraces a concept called tikkun olam, often translated as “repairing the world”, which many adherents interpret as a call to pursue social justice in every aspect of life. If the measuring stick for a life well lived is what you have actually done to “repair the world”, few have amassed a track record of achievements as impactful as the Honourable Irwin Cotler.
Tonight, the Pearson Centre will be honouring Irwin as one of our Laureates, marking with his family, friends and colleagues - old and new - a truly extraordinary life that has unquestionably shaped Canada and the world for the better.
Irwin is a rare figure in Canadian public life—equal parts scholar, advocate, parliamentarian, and human rights champion. His legacy, built over decades of humble service and dogged determination is defined not just by what he accomplished, but by the values he has unwaveringly upheld: justice, dignity, and human rights for all. As a former Minister of Justice, Irwin has the right to put the word “Honourable” before his name. In our view, few have earned this title so thoroughly by their ongoing actions in the way that he has.
As a boy growing up in Montreal, Irwin saw Jackie Robinson play at the old Delormier Stadium which spurred discussions on civil liberties and led to a lifelong quest to fight racism in all its forms. Later, in 1968, Irwin became a speechwriter for then Minister of Justice, John Turner, which sparked his own impactful turn in that very role many years later.
A distinguished law professor before entering politics, Irwin taught at McGill University for nearly three decades shaping generations of legal minds and advocating for the integration of law and morality. His academic work was never cloistered in the ivory tower. Rather, it formed the bedrock of a lifelong campaign against injustice—both at home and around the world. From early on, he understood law not merely as a technical craft, but as a means to pursue justice and safeguard freedoms.
Irwin earned a reputation as a fearless human rights lawyer long before he entered the House of Commons advocating for dozens of political prisoners and famously defending Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, often facing down powerful authoritarian regimes with nothing more than moral clarity and legal argument.
Elected to Parliament in a byelection in Mount Royal in 1999 (with a stunning 92% of the vote!), Irwin brought with him not only the gravitas of his legal expertise but a deep conviction that Canada had a global responsibility to defend the oppressed. As Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 to 2006, he helped steer significant justice reforms, including legislation on same-sex marriage and anti-terrorism laws, all while championing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a living document—one that must reflect the evolving understanding of justice in a pluralistic society. He oversaw the first-ever comprehensive reform of the Supreme Court appointment process ensuring it became the most gender-representative Supreme Court in the world. He introduced the first-ever law on human trafficking and quashed more wrongful convictions in one year than any Minister before him.
But Irwin’s political legacy cannot be measured solely in laws passed or cases argued. It resides in the moral tone he brought to public life. In an era when politics can often feel performative or polarized, Irwin remained a voice of reason, compassion, and measured principle. He listened carefully, spoke deliberately, and acted with courage. He understood that public service was, at its core, a moral vocation.
After leaving Parliament in 2015 (at the age of 75) most would have considered his retirement well-earned. But Irwin did what he has always done—he kept working. He founded the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, continuing to defend prisoners of conscience and promote democratic values around the world. Whether advocating for Iranian women, Uyghur Muslims in China, political dissidents in Venezuela or democracy activists in Hong Kong, Irwin has never lost sight of the universal nature of human rights.
With all of Irwin’s many accomplishments, we know that he considers his family his greatest success and he is a man who values his wife, children and extended family beyond all else.
Recognition for his contributions has come from all corners of the globe: honorary doctorates, international awards, and his appointment as Canada’s first Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. Yet he wears these honours with humility, ever-focused on the work still to be done.
Perhaps the most telling measure of Irwin’s impact lies not in accolades, but in the people he has inspired—students, lawmakers, community leaders, and human rights advocates who carry forward his legacy. He has modeled how one can be deeply patriotic and globally minded, legally rigorous and morally grounded, politically engaged and personally kind.
In a time when the world sometimes feels short on moral leadership, Irwin’s life stands as a reminder that one person, armed with intellect, empathy, and relentless perseverance, can make a profound difference. His career has been a testament to the enduring power of ideas—and the even greater power of acting on them.
We thank him not only for what he has done, but for how he has done it: with honour, decency, and an unwavering belief that one person, determined to lead, can in small ways and great make real progress in “repairing the world” on the long journey of achieving justice for all.
Kevin Bosch is Chair of the Pearson Centre and a former Liberal staffer who worked with Irwin on Parliament Hill. Pam Damoff is a former Member of Parliament and the President and CEO of the Pearson Centre. Éloge Butera worked for many years as a senior advisor on policy to several federal Ministers and currently sits on the board of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, founded by Professor Irwin Cotler.