William Warren Allmand (September 19, 1932 – December 7, 2016) was a Canadian politician who served as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

in the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...

from 1965 to 1997. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the Montreal riding of

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ( en, Our Lady of Grace), also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal in the city's West End, with a population of 166,520 (2016). An independent municipality until annexed by the City of Montreal in 1910, ...

and served in the

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of Prime Minister

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada The prime mini ...

from 1972 to 1979. As Solicitor General, Allmand introduced legislation that successfully abolished the death penalty in Canada in 1976. After leaving federal politics, Allmand took on the role of human rights activist, and led the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the

World Federalist Movement-Canada The World Federalist Movement — Canada (WFMC) is a member organization of the World Federalist Movement, a global citizens movement dedicated to promoting institutions of world governance. WFMC has a national headquarters in Ottawa, and active ...

. He briefly returned to politics by serving a term from 2005–2009 as a Montreal city councillor under

Gérald Tremblay Gérald Tremblay (born September 20, 1942) is a former Canadian politician and businessman who served as mayor of Montreal from 2002 until his resignation in 2012. He also served as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community. Before b ...

Union Montreal Union Montreal (french: Union Montréal) is an inactive municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the governing party in the city from 2001, when it won its first election under mayor Gérald Tremblay, until 2012. The party rem ...

party, becoming vice president of the city council. Allmand died on December 7, 2016 from terminal brain cancer.

Early life and career

William Warren Allmand was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

on September 19, 1932, and was raised in the Mile End neighbourhood. He had a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

education at Loyola College in Montreal. He attended

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Franc ...

Antigonish, Nova Scotia , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = File:St Ninian's Cathedral Antigonish Spring.jpg , image_caption = St. Ninian's Cathedral , image_flag = Flag of Antigonish.pn ...

, and graduated in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

. Allmand studied civil law at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

, and graduated in 1957 with a bachelor of civil law degree. During his time at McGill, he was the chairman of the faculty of education in 1956–57. He was also a member of the university's

Newman Club Newman is a surname of English origin and may refer to many people: The surname Newman is widespread in the core Anglosphere. A * Abram Newman (1736–1799), British grocer * Adrian Newman (disambiguation), multiple people * Al Newman (born ...

and played three years of varsity ice hockey for the McGill Redmen. After graduation, Allmand was admitted into the Quebec

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in 1958. He also earned certificates in

comparative law Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law (legal systems) of different countries. More specifically, it involves the study of the different legal "systems" (or "families") in existence in the world, including the ...

at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

and at the Institute of Comparative Law.

Federal politics

In the 1965 federal election, Allmand ran for the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

in the Montreal riding of

, and was elected to the

. He would serve his constituency for over 30 years, being re-elected in every subsequent election before stepping down in 1997. As a

backbencher In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the " ...

, Allmand was a strong advocate for stronger

gun laws in Canada Firearms in Canada are federally regulated through the ''Firearms Act'' and related provisions of the ''Criminal Code''. Regulation is largely about licensing and registration of firearms, including air guns with a muzzle velocity of more than ...

, supporting regulations on all Canadian gun owners and limiting access to all guns, including those for

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. In 1971, he proposed a bill to only permit government stores to sell guns. The bill also proposed an application process which included a waiting period during which the gun purchase was publicly listed to allow anyone to object. Allmand also proposed requiring gun owners to compile annual reports on their gun use and the condition of the gun, and to return their guns to the government when no longer used. Allmand continued to advocate for gun control laws upon his appointment to cabinet. In 1967, after

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

said "

Vive le Québec libre " (, 'Long live free Quebec!') was a phrase in a speech delivered by French President Charles de Gaulle in Montreal, Quebec on July 24, 1967, during an official visit to Canada for the Expo 67 world's fair. While giving an address to a large cro ...

" while on a state visit to Canada during

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

, Allmand sent a message to

Paul Martin Sr. Joseph James Guillaume Paul Martin (June 23, 1903 – September 14, 1992), often referred to as Paul Martin Sr., was a noted Canadian politician and diplomat. He was the father of Paul Martin, who served as 26th prime minister of Canada fro ...

, the

External Affairs Minister The Minister of External Affairs (or simply, the Foreign Minister, in Hindi ''Videsh Mantri'' ) is the head of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. One of the senior-most offices in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsib ...

, that the rest of the trip must be cancelled.

Solicitor General

Allmand was sworn into the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

on November 27, 1972 when he succeeded

Jean-Pierre Goyer Jean-Pierre Goyer, (January 17, 1932 – May 24, 2011) was a lawyer and Canadian Cabinet minister. Goyer was born in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, the son of Gilbert and Marie-Ange Goyer. He graduated from the University of Montreal. Goyer was firs ...

as Solicitor General for

, a post he held until September 13, 1976. Serving in the aftermath of the

October Crisis The October Crisis (french: Crise d'Octobre) refers to a chain of events that started in October 1970 when members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped the provincial Labour Minister Pierre Laporte and British diplomat James C ...

, he testified before the Keable commission. In 1976, Allmand signed a warrant requested by

Michael Dare Lieutenant-General Michael Reginald Dare DSO, OMM, CD (August 1, 1917 – May 22, 1996) was a Canadian Forces officer who became Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in Canada. Career Dare joined the Canadian Army as second lieutenant in the Duff ...

, the Director-General of Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service, to authorize them to intercept the mail of a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

couple. The couple were suspected of conspiring with the

Japanese Red Army The was a militant communist organization active from 1971 to 2001. It was designated a terrorist organization by Japan and the United States. The JRA was founded by Fusako Shigenobu and Tsuyoshi Okudaira in February 1971 and was most active i ...

, possibly to attack the upcoming

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

. After the Department of Justice advised Allmand it was a violation of the ''Post Office Act'', it was cancelled in December 1976, nine months after it had been granted. In December 1976, Allmand was Solicitor General when Leonard Peltier was extradited to the United States. According to Allmand, the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

submitted false information to the Canadian government, including an

affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or '' deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by law. Such a statemen ...

from a woman with mental disorders who claimed to be Peltier's girlfriend. In 1977, after Allmand was no longer Solicitor General, he testified before the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP (the McDonald Commission) that the RCMP had advised him that it was legal for them to break into buildings to conduct warrantless searches as long as they did not take anything. Allmand would later state that the RCMP had been dishonest in withholding information from him and other solicitors general.

Abolishing the death penalty

After Trudeau's Liberals upgraded their

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and Cabinet (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...

to a

majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Webster1974 federal election, they had more leeway to act on abolishing

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. In 1973, Liberals had renewed the provisions of Bill C-168, passed by

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

's minority government in 1968, which imposed a five-year moratorium on the use of the death penalty. With a majority behind them, Allmand and Trudeau, both ardent abolitionists, prepared to go further than Pearson had gone and decided to try and abolish the death penalty altogether. Allmand felt it was hypocritical to have the law on the books when Parliament had commuted every death sentence since 1962. He also felt that it was illegitimate to grant the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

and the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

the power over an individual person's ultimate fate, noting that it is not in line with the values held by Canadian society. Because of these views, Canada's official hangman called for his resignation. In 1976 Allmand tabled Bill C-84, ''An Act to Amend the Criminal Code in Relation to the Punishment for

Murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

and Certain Other Serious Offences,'' the bill that would remove the death penalty from the Criminal Code and abolish its use in Canada. A sentence of

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

with no chance of

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

for a minimum of 25 years was substituted instead. 119 parliamentarians spoke for or against the bill over the course of the debate, with members of both the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties divided in their support of the bill. Opponents of the bill cited recent polling that 70% of Canadians supported capital punishment and called on the government to call a

national referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

on the issue. Other opponents accused Allmand and Trudeau of proposing the bill now so that it would not expire before the next federal election in 1979 and risk costing the Liberals votes. Almost all opponents thought that the death penalty was a necessary response to terrorism, insurrection, and other serious crimes. Former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

argued that after the

Munich massacre The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian people, Palestinian militant organization Black September Organization, Black September, who i ...

, passing Bill C-84 was sending the wrong message in the lead-up to the

in Montreal. In response to the calls for referendum, including a motion for a national plebiscite by Alberta MP

Gordon Towers Thomas Gordon Towers (July 5, 1919 – June 8, 1999) was a Canadian politician, Member of Parliament (MP) and the 13th lieutenant governor of Alberta. Early life Thomas Gordon Towers was born on July 5, 1919, the youngest of four childre ...

, Allmand argued that the role of MPs was to deliberate in the House of Commons, make up their own minds, and then vote. He also argued that representative democracy necessarily excluded plebiscites, because then it would open the door to plebiscites on a variety of serious and controversial issues. In order not to risk the fall of the government over the bill given its contentious nature, Allmand and Trudeau agreed that the final vote would be a free vote. Despite the Liberal majority in the House of Commons, it only narrowly passed Bill C-84, 131 to 124. A year after the vote, Allmand remarked in a speech delivered to

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

, that "Capital punishment, simply because it is immoral and useless, must be fought and defeated if we are to become a world society in which our descendants can live in peace and justice."

Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

After being Solicitor General, Allmand continued to serve in the cabinet of Pierre Trudeau as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from September 14, 1976 to September 15, 1977. While the Minister of Indian Affairs, Allmand was seen as particularly sensitive to the need to use appropriate language and have equitable relations with

Indigenous Peoples in Canada In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...

. By taking the treaties with Indigenous Peoples at face value and extending the benefit of doubt to the people subject to the treaties, Allmand extended the rule of law to Indigenous witnesses in a largely unprecedented manner. Unlike his predecessor

Judd Buchanan Judd Buchanan, (born July 25, 1929) is a Canadian former politician and businessman. After a career in the life insurance industry working for London Life, Buchanan, born in Edmonton, Alberta, was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in ...

, who referred to the land claims and demands for Indigenous self-government proposed by the Dene people in the Dene Declaration in the aftermath of the

Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry {{No footnotes, date=April 2009 The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, also known as the Berger Inquiry after its head Justice Thomas Berger, was commissioned by the Government of Canada on March 21, 1974, to investigate the social, environmental, ...

as " goobledegook", Allmand expressed public sympathy for their political demands of the Dene and the

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

. He was seemingly about to reach a land claim settlement agreement which would have granted much of the desired political autonomy when he was replaced by

Hugh Faulkner James Hugh Faulkner, (March 9, 1933 – April 18, 2016) was a Canadian politician. He completed his BA at McGill University and his MBA at the International Management Institute (IMI) in Geneva, Switzerland. Life and career Faulkner was born ...

in fall 1977. Faulkner backed away from the concessions that Allmand had made such as control over natural resources, instead proposing a cash settlement and land allotments similar to

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

s. This new position was criticized by the Dene and Métis leaders, and talks would not resume until 1981. His final cabinet post was as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs from September 16, 1977 until June 3, 1979, when the Liberals were defeated and Progressive Conservative Joe Clark formed government after the 1979 federal election.

Opposition and return to backbenches

During the negotiations leading up to the patriation of the

Constitution of Canada The Constitution of Canada (french: Constitution du Canada) is the supreme law in Canada. It outlines Canada's system of government and the civil and human rights of those who are citizens of Canada and non-citizens in Canada. Its contents a ...

, Allmand, frequently suggested to his caucus colleagues, including those on the committee overseeing patriation, that the rights of

Indigenous Peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

should be explicitly protected in any new constitution. Allmand's support lent credibility to the Indigenous cause, since he was a former Indian Affairs minister and longtime cabinet minister. Ultimately, Allmand voted against the '' Constitution Act, 1982'' because of his opposition to the inclusion of the notwithstanding clause in Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that allowed certain rights to be overridden by the national and provincial legislatures. He opposed Section 59 of the act, which delayed the implementation of Section 23 minority language education rights in the ''Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' in Quebec until a time chosen by the

Quebec National Assembly The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the Legislature, legislative body of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members ...

. After this vote, Allmand would never hold a Liberal cabinet position again. During

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

's tenure as prime minister, Allmand held numerous

Official Opposition Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...

critic portfolios. He was critic for

Employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

from October 1984 to September 1990. In 1988, conservative

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

attacked Allmand for being "anti-life" for voting against amendments to the ''Criminal Code'' that would have criminalized abortion in Canada. Allmand, himself a Catholic, defended himself, saying that while he personally opposed the act of abortion, he did not believe abortion should be included in criminal law. Allmand was critic for arms control and disarmament as well as critic for

Official Languages An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

from 1990 to 1992, and critic for

Immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

from 1992 to 1993. During this time, Allmand, who was the chair of the Parliamentary Friends of

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

, hosted the

14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...

's first visit to Canada in 1990. In 1995, he gained notoriety for voting against

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

's budget, as he was opposed to spending cuts that were deeper than promised during the 1993 election and because it did not cancel the Goods and Services Tax. As a result, Prime Minister

Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. Born and raised in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Chrétien is a law graduate from Uni ...

removed him from his position as chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice, a position he held from January 17, 1994 to February 2, 1996, although he remained in the Liberal caucus. Allmand said that Martin's budget cuts "broke traditional Liberal principles" and his willingness to vote against his own party's majority government emboldened other Liberal MPs to follow suit, such as

John Nunziata John Nunziata ( , ; born January 4, 1955) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician. He first served as an Alderman in the Borough of York from 1978 to 1982. He served three terms as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons of Canada from York South ...

and

Dennis Mills Dennis Joseph Mills (born July 19, 1946) is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto—Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. From February 2012 until November 2016, Mi ...

. He retired before the 1997 election after Chrétien appointed him president of the Montreal-based International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (later renamed Rights and Democracy) to replace Ed Broadbent, its first president.

Human rights activism

Allmand served as the president of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development from 1997 to 2002. During the

3rd Summit of the Americas The 3rd Summit of the Americas was a summit held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on April 20–22, 2001. This international meeting was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. The talks are perhaps bette ...

, held in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

in 2001, Allmand encouraged social activists boycotting the event to speak with governmental actors in order to collaboratively develop better policy. During his time at the centre, Allmand supported the work done on the International Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. In the leadup to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, Allmand was an active participant in the negotiations via the Coalition for Peace in Ireland. During the negotiations, Allmand met Rosemary Nolan, whom he married in 2002. He also served as the international president of

Parliamentarians for Global Action Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is a non-profit, non-partisan international network of committed legislators, that informs and mobilizes parliamentarians in all regions of the world to advocate for human rights and the rule of law, democr ...

. In 2004, Allmand was elected President of the World Federalist Movement–Canada, a position he held until his terminal illness led to his replacement in August 2016 by Walter Dorn. Allmand also served as a director of the Newman Centre of Montreal and CANADEM. In 2004, Allmand taught at

as a visiting scholar at the Institute of Canadian Studies. In 2005, Allmand served as counsel for the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group during the

Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar The Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar was a public inquiry investigating the rendition and torture of Maher Arar released on September 18, 2006. The findings of this Commission are part of Repo ...

, and argued that Canada's national security agencies, especially the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

, chose security over rights and were largely unaccountable when they did so.

Montreal municipal politics

In November 2005, Allmand was elected to the Montreal city council seat as a member of the

Union Montréal Union Montreal (french: Union Montréal) is an inactive municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the governing party in the city from 2001, when it won its first election under mayor Gérald Tremblay, until 2012. The party rem ...

party to represent Loyola, in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. Allmand's primary motivation for joining was to help oversee the city's implementation of its charter of rights that he had helped draft. Although Allmand had been recruited by then mayor

for his party, he was not afraid to publicly criticize the mayor if he disagreed with city policy. Allmand voted against Tremblay's motion to change the name of

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...

to Avenue

Robert Bourassa Robert Bourassa (; July 14, 1933 – October 2, 1996) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd premier of Quebec from 1970 to 1976 and from 1985 to 1994. A member of the Liberal Party of Quebec, he served a total of just un ...

. During his time on the council, he criticized the lack of transparency in urban planning for projects in his seat of

, while

Michael Applebaum Michael Mark Applebaum (born February 10, 1963) is a Canadian former politician who served as interim Mayor of Montreal between his appointment by the city council on November 16, 2012, and his resignation on June 18, 2013. He was the first angl ...

was mayor. Although he had risen to become the Vice President of the

Montreal City Council The Montreal City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Montréal) is the governing body in the mayor–council government in the city of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the ...

, he did not choose to run again in the

2009 Montreal municipal election The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, held a municipal election at the same time as numerous other municipalities in Quebec, on November 1, 2009. Voters elected the Mayor of Montreal, Montreal City Council, and the mayors and councils of each of ...

Later activities and death

In 2011, Allmand supported the Canadian Boat for Gaza, part of the

Freedom Flotilla II "Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the Blockade of the Gaza Strip (2007-present), maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take pl ...

that sought to deliver supplies to Palestinians. In Fall 2013, Allmand joined Foundation Board of

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is a pan-Canadian grassroots advocacy organization established under a different name in 2002 in order to "empower Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in ...

. In 2014, Allmand defended a legal argument, on behalf of the World Federalist Movement – Canada, that challenged the Canadian government's implementation bill for the

Convention on Cluster Munitions The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is an international treaty that prohibits all use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters submunitions ("bomblets") over an area. Additionally, ...

. He argued that a clause of the bill which gave Canada an explicit exemption in certain cases while participating in combined military operations with non-signatory allies such as the United States undermined the purpose of the convention. Allmand noted that Australia and New Zealand, two other American allies, had passed similar legislation without this exemption. Allmand was concerned that signing a treaty with the exception would encourage other countries to create their own exceptions. Allmand was diagnosed with a brain tumour in February 2016, and his condition worsened in October 2016. He then entered a

palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...

centre at the

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal The Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM, translated as University of Montreal Health Centre) is one of two major healthcare networks in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is a teaching institution affiliated with the French-lang ...

Hôpital Notre-Dame Hôpital Notre-Dame ( en, Notre Dame Hospital) is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on Sherbrooke Street East in the borough of Ville-Marie, across from La Fontaine Park. It was established in 1880, and has been at its presen ...

, where he died on December 7, 2016, at the age of 84. Allmand's funeral was held at St. Patrick's Basilica on December 19. Allmand was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

Honours, awards, and legacy

In 1977, Allmand was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

for his contributions to the legal field. In 1990, the World Federalist Movement–Canada honoured Allmand with its World Peace Award. In 2000, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

for being "committed to democracy and the pursuit of justice and fundamental freedoms." In June 2006,

Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebe ...

granted him a Doctor of Civil Law ''

honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

'' at its

convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a speci ...

ceremony. In 1999, in a list that Allmand submitted to the ''Great Canadian Book of Lists,'' he listed abolishing the death penalty as one of Canada's twelve most significant political events. After his death,

Denis Coderre Denis Coderre (born July 25, 1963) is a Canadian politician from Quebec. Coderre was the member of Parliament for the riding of Bourassa from 1997 until 2013, and was the Immigration minister from 2002 to 2003 and became the mayor of Mont ...

, the Mayor of Montreal, announced that the flags at

Montreal City Hall The five-story Montreal City Hall (French: ''Hôtel de Ville de Montréal'') is the seat of local government in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was designed by architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison, and built between 1872 ...

would be flown at half-mast in his honour. Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

released a statement on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

saying that Allmand's "legacy will live on in the enormous contributions he made to Canada as an MP and Minister."

Published works

Allmand published at least three books during this career: * ''Is there a future for progressive policies in Canada?'' Montréal : McGill Institute for the Study of Canada; 1997. * ''Trading in human rights: the need for human rights sensitivity at the World Trade Organization.'' Montréal : International Centre for Human Rights & Democratic Development; 1999. * ''Troquer ou respecter les droits humains? Pour une Organisation mondiale du commerce soucieuse des droits humains.'' Montréal : Centre international des droits de la personne et du développement démocratique; 1999.

References

External links

*
World Federalist Movement–Canada

A passionate defender of human rights – ''Globe and Mail'' obituary by Sue Montgomery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allmand, Warren 1932 births 2016 deaths Lawyers from Montreal Tibet freedom activists Canadian King's Counsel Canadian legal scholars Canadian Ministers of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the 20th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Officers of the Order of Canada Academics from Montreal Anglophone Quebec people Montreal city councillors Academic staff of McGill University Solicitors General of Canada Loyola College (Montreal) alumni St. Francis Xavier University alumni McGill University Faculty of Law alumni People from Le Plateau-Mont-Royal