CABA’s Full Statement on the Conflict in Ukraine

– For Immediate Release –

New York, NY, March 14, 2022: As a cross-border bar association committed to the principle that a rule based international order is among the best tools we have to ensure peace, prosperity, and mutual respect across international borders, the Canadian American Bar Association is deeply concerned by Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful invasion of Ukraine and condemns it in the strongest terms.

When the United Nations was formed in 1945, the “suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace” was proclaimed as one of the organization’s founding purposes. Its charter made most uses of force illegal, aside from those authorized by the body’s Security Council “to maintain or restore international peace and security” and those undertaken in self-defense.

That rule-based international order, while admittedly flawed in its design and imperfect in its adherence, is a cornerstone of a civilized international arena that places limits on more powerful states and protects the community of sovereign nations from acts of aggression. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a repudiation of those principles and of the multinational organizations and legal institutions created to channel and resolve international conflict.

Lawyers on both sides of the Canada and U.S. border have not hesitated in taking action that address the legal and humanitarian ramifications of the unfolding Ukraine conflict, including in legal proceedings against Russia in the International Court of Justice and amendments to immigration rules aimed at accommodating fleeing refugees. CABA is supportive of these efforts and is exploring ways of addressing the unfolding crisis that are consistent with its values and cross-border mission.