Craig Scott (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Craig Scott

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Craig Scott photo by Djuradj Vujcic.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Scott in 2013

| constituency_MP1 = Toronto—Danforth

| parliament1 = Canadian

| term_start1 = March 19, 2012

| term_end1 = October 19, 2015

| predecessor1 = Jack Layton (2011)

| successor1 = Julie Dabrusin

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|3|14}}[http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/sites/default/files/faculty/cv/scott_craig_cv.pdf Craig Scott bio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200101/http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/sites/default/files/faculty/cv/scott_craig_cv.pdf |date=October 29, 2013 }}{{cite web|last=Kennedy|first=Brendan|title=Q&A with Craig Scott — Jack Layton's successor in Toronto-Danforth|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/1113686|work=The Star|accessdate=January 10, 2012|date=January 10, 2012}}

| birth_place = Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada

| party = New Democratic

| otherparty =

| spouse = Kovit Ratchadasri

| children =

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

| occupation = Legal scholar

| website =

}}

Craig M. Scott (born March 14, 1962) is a Canadian politician and academic. Formerly a law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and a director of the Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security,{{cite news|last=Meyer|first=Carl|title=How the Afghan mission influenced the election|url=http://www.embassymag.ca/page/printpage/foreign-05-04-2011|accessdate=January 10, 2012|newspaper=Embassy Magazine|date=May 4, 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729070602/http://www.embassymag.ca/page/printpage/foreign-05-04-2011|archive-date=July 29, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} he was elected as the New Democratic Party candidate in a federal by-election in Toronto—Danforth on March 19, 2012, following the death of Jack Layton in August 2011.[https://www.thestar.com/breakingnews/article/1148896--danforth-byelection-ndp-hangs-on-to-jack-layton-stronghold?bn=1 "Danforth byelection: NDP hangs on to Jack Layton stronghold"]. Toronto Star, March 19, 2012.

Background

Scott was born and raised in Windsor, Nova Scotia.{{cite news|last=Jackson|first=David|title=Getting to bottom of Baillie's comment|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/41597-getting-bottom-baillie%E2%80%99s-comment|accessdate=January 10, 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle-Herald|date=December 11, 2011}} From 1979 to 1981, he attended Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada, where he gained the International Baccalaureate Diploma. He then earned undergraduate degrees from McGill University and from the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar at St John's College.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/section/rhodes-scholars-complete-list |title=Complete list of Rhodes Scholars |access-date=March 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308144613/http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/section/rhodes-scholars-complete-list |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} He has a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and a Masters of Law from the London School of Economics. His academic specialty is international law{{cite news|last=Harvey|first=Colin|title=Talk of tort law as a tool for tortured|url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=174713§ioncode=7|accessdate=January 10, 2011|newspaper=Times Higher Education Supplement|date=February 14, 2003}} with a focus on human rights law.{{cite web|title=Craig M. Scott|url=http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/faculty/full-time/craig-m-scott|work=Osgoode Hall Law School Faculty|publisher=York University|accessdate=January 9, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114124144/http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/faculty/full-time/craig-m-scott|archivedate=January 14, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Scott was a professor in the University of Toronto Faculty of Law{{cite news|title=U of T investigates law professor in connection with student cheating scandal|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/u-of-t-investigates-law-professor-in-connection-with-student-cheating-scandal-1.273935|accessdate=June 30, 2023|publisher=CBC News|date=February 21, 2001}} from 1989 to 2001. He was Osgoode Law School's Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies){{cite news|last=Conrod|first=Monique|title=Hearing arguments for Toronto's 2 law schools; Osgoode Hall's paper chase less often points to Bay Street|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=Mar 28, 2002}} from 2001 to 2004 and has remained on the faculty subsequently.

Scott and his partner Kovit Ratchadasri{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1120805--ndp-toronto-danforth-candidate-craig-scott-meets-party-caucus-in-ottawa|title=NDP Toronto-Danforth candidate Craig Scott meets party caucus in Ottawa|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=January 24, 2012}} previously owned the Craig Scott Gallery, an art gallery on Berkeley Street near Toronto's Distillery District.

Advisor

Scott was an advisor to the African National Congress during its period in exile during the Apartheid era and subsequently assisted in the drafting of portions of the post-apartheid Constitution of South Africa. In 1993-1994, he served as co-counsel for the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the International Court of Justice and has also been involved in human rights issues relating to Iraq, Sri Lanka and Honduras where he was involved with the Truth Commission held in the aftermath of the 2009 Honduran coup d'état.{{cite news|last=Lindell|first=Rebecca|title=Honduras rolls out welcome mat for Canadian companies|url=http://www.globalnews.ca/analysis/6442463271/story.html|accessdate=January 10, 2012|newspaper=Global News|date=August 12, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120801191219/http://www.globalnews.ca/analysis/6442463271/story.html|archivedate=August 1, 2012|df=mdy-all}}

He also advised rights seeking groups in Canada in regards to legal challenges using the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and assisted Maher Arar in his lawsuit against the Canadian government.{{cite news|last=Hopper|first=Tristin|title=Craig Scott wins NDP nomination for Jack Layton's Toronto-Danforth riding|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/craig-scott-wins-ndp-nomination-for-jack-laytons-toronto-danforth-riding|accessdate=June 30, 2023|newspaper=National Post|date=January 9, 2012}}

Political career

Scott was selected as the New Democratic Party's candidate for the Toronto—Danforth by-election on January 9, 2012.{{cite news|title=Craig Scott gets NDP nod to run in by-election in Layton's old riding|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/craig-scott-gets-ndp-nod-to-run-in-by-election-in-laytons-old-riding/article547308/|accessdate=June 30, 2023|newspaper=Globe and Mail|date=January 9, 2012}} He won the seat on March 19, 2012, winning 59% of the vote, despite a strong campaign by second-place Liberal finisher, Grant Gordon.{{cite news|title=NDP wins in Jack Layton's former riding|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ndp-wins-in-jack-layton-s-former-riding-1.1165023|access-date=June 24, 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=March 19, 2012}} Scott was defeated for re-election in 2015 by Liberal Julie Dabrusin amid the massive Liberal wave that swept through Toronto.{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/liberals-ndp-toronto-danforth-1.3279370 |title='It hurts': NDP shut out of downtown Toronto in Liberal crush |work=CBC News |date=20 October 2015 |accessdate=29 September 2016}}

Electoral record

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Progressive Canadian|John Richardson|1,275|2.29||–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|55,581|100.00| |$209,972.56}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|269|0.48|–}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Canada[http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35109&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=ON&PROVID=35&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1 Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Toronto—Danforth, 30 September 2015][http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061116/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e |date=August 15, 2015 }}|}}