Marcia VJ Kran of Vancouver was selected as the 2005 recipient of the 2005 Walter S. Tarnopolsky Human Rights Award by ICJ-Canada.
“Marcia Kran has been a real guide for the protection of human rights and respect for the rule of law internationally,” said Ed Ratushny, Chair of the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section).
“She has worked with the United Nations and other organizations dedicated to reforming justice systems and ensuring respect for human rights in the countries of Southeast Asia and the former Soviet bloc. Thanks to his efforts, people who had never before seen their recognized rights could finally exercise them. “
Marcia Kran has worked with various human rights and rule of law organizations for 24 years, including the United Nations, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Center for Criminal Justice. Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy of the University of British Columbia (UC-B.).
She has been either a teacher or counselor in several countries involved in the process of reforming their justice systems and strengthening human rights protections, including in the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Mozambique, Nepal, in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, East Timor and Georgia.
Throughout this period, she provided training to judges, lawyers, police and police on human rights issues; she is also the author of an essay on criminal justice standards for US peacekeepers (peacekeepers). and another book on human rights for judges and lawyers.
She has also been involved in all aspects of judicial reform in post-conflict countries and other countries.
Marcia Kran obtained her law degree from the University of Manitoba in 1980, followed by a degree in social sciences from Stockholm University in 1988 and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto in 1989.
Elle a débuté sa carrière en qualité de procureure de la Couronne au Manitoba en 1981 avant de devenir conseillère en politiques juridiques pour le ministère fédéral de la Justice en 1989.
En 1991, elle est passée à l’étape de l’engagement international en oeuvrant pour la Direction des Nations-Unies en matière de prévention du crime et de justice pénale.
Entre 1994 et 1995, elle a été engagée comme conseillère juridique principale pour l’International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique.
In 1995-96, she was a project manager at the United Nations Center for Human Rights before becoming a CIDA advisor on human rights and justice issues until 2001, while continuing to teach human rights internationally at UC-B.
From 2001, she was hired as director of the Criminal Justice Program in the Open Society Justice Project, to provide legal reform advice in Eastern Europe and the United States. former Soviet Union.
In 2003, she returned to the United Nations where she currently holds the position of Manager of Democratic Governance for the Development Program in Europe and the former Soviet Union.
The Walter S. Tarnopolsky Award recognizes a Canadian resident who has made a remarkable contribution to human rights at the national or international level.
The award will be presented at the annual meeting of the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section) on Monday, August 15th at the Vancouver Convention Center, Room 13, at the Canadian Legal Conference in Vancouver.
Hon. Lance Finch, Chief Justice of British Columbia, chaired the 2005 Selection Committee as the representative of ICJ-Canada, and the Hon. Anne Mactavish of the Federal Court administers the award on behalf of ICJ-Canada.
Canada-Kran receives award-press release-2005 (full text in PDF)