Annual General Meeting Minutes (April 26, 2013)
Draft Minutes
Annual General Meeting 2014
Lawyers Rights Watch Canada
-and-
Lawyers Rights Watch (Legal Research) Canada
Date: Friday April 25th 2014
Time:3:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Pacific Standard Time)
Place:150 – 900 Howe Street, Vancouver BC
Present in person:Gail Davidson, Catherine Morris, Grace Woo, David F. Sutherland, Ed Levy, Maureen Webb, Paul Scambler, Andrew Guaglio, Leo McGrady, Carolyn McCool, Tina Parbhakar, Robyn Cooper.
Present by telephone: Siobhan Airey, Vani Selvarajah, Clive Ansley, Isabel Stramwasser, Gavin Magrath, Robert Morales
Voting by Proxy
--Paul Copeland
Lisa Barrett
Monique Pongracic-Speier
Lois Leslie
Diana Davidson
Peggy Stanier
Mark Battersby
Darlene D.R. Kavka
Call to order 3:01pm
1.Approval of Minutes of Annual General Meeting
Receipt and approval minutes of last year's meeting circulated to all attendees at the 2013 AGM
Moved – Grace Woo
Seconded – Catherine Morris
No objection
2.Election of Directors for 2013/014
LRWC:
New Directors Standing for election
- Lois Leslie- Not present due to family emergency- retired human rights lawyer- practiced primarily in the area of Indigenous People’s rights
- Leo McGrady Q.C. - rejoining, Leo was on the board from 2009-2012, human rights and labour law specialist- provides courses in civil disobedience in BC and Canada- produced handbook on civil disobedience.
- Maureen Webb- previously a member of legal research board, Ottawa-based lawyer living in Vancouver- Human Rights lawyer, specializes in security issues.
Transitioning Directors:
- Gary Anandasangaree stepping down as he is standing in the next election as a Member of Parliament in his riding
- Paul Copeland stepping down from the board to concentrate on being a Burma monitor
- David Sutherland moving from the board of LRW(LR)C to LRWC.
- Andrew Guaglio will be stepping down later in the year due to his clerkship with the BC Court of Appeal
Nominees for Board of LRWC
Gail Davidson, Clive Ansley, Heather Neun, Grace Woo, Andrew Guaglio, Maureen Webb, David F. Sutherland.
Nominations 3:07pm
-No further nominations
-Moved to nominate the above people as Directors of LRWC, by Maureen Webb
-Seconded by Catherine Morris
Approved unanimously
LRW(LR)C
New Directors standing for election
-Lois Leslie- information noted above
-Vani Selvarajah-regular LRWC representative at the Human rights Council on a self-funded basis
Directors standing for election for LRW9LR)C;
Catherine Morris, Margaret (Peggy) Stanier, Siobhan Airey, Lois Leslie, Dr. Ed Levy, Robert Morales, Vani Selvarajah, Gavin Magrath.
Nominations 3:14 PM
-No further nominations
-Moved by to nominate the above people as Directors of LRW(LR)C by Andrew Guaglio
-Seconded by David Sutherland
Approved unanimously
3.Approval of Draft Financial Statement
Discussion of banking and financial statements.
Motion to establish a separate bank account for LRW(LR)C and to prepare separate financial statements for each organization at 3:25
Moved by Clive Ansley; Seconded by Andrew Guaglio; Passed unanimously
4.Motion to approve LRW(LR)C acting under the name of LRWC
Moved by Robert Morales; Seconded by Grace Woo; Approved
6.Special Resolutions for continuation of LRWC and LRW(LR)C under the Canada Not-For-Profit Corporations Act
The Directors of LRWC and LRW(LR)C having, in compliance with the requirements of the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act replacing the Canada Corporations Act, approved new By-Laws and Statements of Purpose/Constitutions for LRWC and LRW(LR)C and member attending in person and by telephone and voting by proxy had received copies of these documents, the following discussion ensued motions were made. . The Special Resolutions were discussed and the attached documents reviewed.
3:31 pm
Motion to amend the By-Laws set out in the Special Resolution for LRWC by deleting paragraph Paragraph 5 (e) which states, “A membership in the corporation is terminated when: (e) the member becomes bankrupt” and the approve the By-Laws as presented and the Special Resolution subject to that amendment.
Moved by Gavin Magrath: Seconded by Andrew Guaglio; Approved
3:37 pm
Motion to amend the By-Laws set out in the Special Resolution for LRW(LR)C by deleting deleting paragraph Paragraph 5 (e) which states, “A membership in the corporation is terminated when: (e) the member becomes bankrupt” and the approve the By-Laws as presented and the Special Resolution subject to that amendment.
Moved by Catherine Morris; Secondedby Robert Morales; Approved
Year in Review
Gail Davidson reviewed the advocacy, education and research activities of LRWC and LRW(LR)C during the 13 month period ending 31 March 2014.
Catherine Morris reviewed work to support human rights defenders in Cambodia
Heather Neun reviewed her work as Colombia monitor including participation in the Fourth Biennial Colombia Caravana.
Discussion
A discussion of successes, challenges and projects for the year ahead.
Meeting Adjourned 4:25 PM
Moved - Andrew Gugalio
Seconded – Paul Scambler