26 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m
Bringing Them Home
LAWYERS ACTING FOR CLIENTS IMPRISONED ABROAD
NEED TO NAVIGATE A COMPLEX WEB OF INTERESTS
By Sheldon Gordon
A
n estimated 2.5 million Canadians live outside Canada. In addition, Canadians make
almost 50 million visits abroad each year. They travel or reside overseas to do busi-
ness, study, visit family or vacation. Most find that their stay abroad is uneventful.
Some, however, have the unexpected experience of being subjected to arbitrary and
prolonged detention — and sometimes even torture.
When Canadians become enmeshed with problematic legal systems in foreign
countries, they or their families back home in Canada often turn to a Canadian lawyer
to help win their release. Canadian Lawyer explores the challenges that five lawyers recently
faced when they acted for Canadians detained abroad.
