Dennis Edney
Originally from Dundee, Scotland, Dennis Edney is a Canadian defence attorney based in Edmonton, Alberta noted for his involvement in high-profile cases, including Brian Mills, R. v. Trang, as defence attorney for Abdullah and Omar Khadr, who were captured in the War on Terror, Fahim Ahmad, and represents the entire Khadr family.Appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the United States Supreme Court. Appointed as Foreign Attorney Consultant by the U.S. Pentagon to participate in the legal defense of Mr. Omar Khadr, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Edney received the 2008 National Pro Bono Award: “The significance of his commitment is based not only on the tremendous energy, time and personal resources spent advocating on Mr. Khadr’s behalf, but also based on the complexity of the litigation, which was argued before Canadian and U.S. courts and military tribunals. His commitment in the face of potential personal repercussions of representing an unpopular case is a testament to the finest traditions of the legal profession. The fruits of [his] labour have not only increased access to justice for one individual but impacted human rights the world over”.Recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Medal awarded by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia for work that “has helped to promote and further human rights”. He was named by Alberta Venture magazine as one of 50 Alberta's most influential people for 2008. In 2011, he was appointed as a Bencher of the Law Society of Alberta. Also, received the honorary title of Queens Counsel for exceptional merit and contribution to the legal profession. In 2011, he was fired by Omar Khadr.On December 10, 2013, the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Edney was recognized by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights.Lectured extensively with emphasis on the Rule of Law, to organizations, universities and conferences throughout North America.Keynote speaker on behalf of Amnesty International to speak at Trinity College, Dublin, on the Rule of Law (2005); and in London, England, at the international conference on the “Global Struggle against Torture” (2005).On September 25, 2007 he appeared on the CBC Radio program As It Happens, where he claimed politics were responsible for the Crown's sudden reversal of process, abandoning the preliminary inquiry, for the Toronto terrorism trial. He is one of the defence attorneys who support the publication ban on information about the trial, while others have decried it.In addition to his caseload, he is noted for speaking publicly at conferences and engagements on legal matters, including the rule of law as it relates to the war on terror.On September 19, 2014, when the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, in Winnipeg, was first opened, Edney participated in a human rights panel about Omar Khadr's case at the nearby Manitoba Children’s Theatre.Edney was also presented with an award for his work from the Winnipeg Peace Alliance.