Public Lecture: Applied International Law — Canada’s Commitments to NATO and Latvia Seen Through the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation REASSURANCE
This public lecture, presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada to Latvia, is part of the newly introduced Bachelor's programme specialization course in International Politics. The lecture is open to anyone interested in the topic, no prior registration is required. We warmly welcome both students and members of the broader community to attend.
This lecture will focus on two aspects of international law in the context of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation REASSURANCE in Latvia.
The first part will look at international law as it pertains to the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, using examples drawn from Canada’s Operation REASSURANCE to demonstrate how various states may cooperate in the achievement of common security interests.
The second part will look at privileges and immunities in international law, again using examples drawn from Operation REASSURANCE to demonstrate how various states ensure the morale and welfare of their military members and instill military discipline when deploying troops abroad.
The lecture will be led by two Legal Officers of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Office of the Judge Advocate General currently deployed to Latvia on Operation REASSURANCE, Major Jean-François Gosselin and Lieutenant Commander Jean-François Morin.
Major Gosselin is a lawyer registered with the Barreau du Québec, the law society of the Canadian province of Québec. Major Gosselin is currently the main legal advisor for NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia. He holds a joint degree in Common Law and Civilian Law from McGill University and a postgraduate degree in Laws from Université de Sherbrooke. Since 2010, he is a regular lecturer at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) business science school, l’École des sciences de la gestion. He has also lectured at the Université de Sherbrooke and the University of Ottawa.
Lieutenant Commander Morin, who is also a lawyer registered with the Barreau du Québec, is the Deputy Senior Legal Advisor at Canada’s Task Force Latvia. He holds a law degree from Université Laval in Québec City. In addition to his military career, Lieutenant Commander Morin has held counsel, senior counsel and executive positions within the Government of Canada and two of Canada’s largest elections administration bodies, Élections Québec and Elections Canada.