A prominent Canadian legal association is apologizing after it cancelled a keynote speech by Syrian Canadian entrepreneur and peacekeeping advocate Tareq Hadhad, prompting sharp criticism from many of its members.
Last Friday, CBC News was first to report that The Advocates’ Society rescinded an invitation for Hadhad, founder of Peace by Chocolate, to deliver a keynote speech, saying some members expressed concerns about his position on Israel’s war in Gaza.
Now, the organization says it’s acknowledging the “profound reactions” surrounding its decision.
“Our members have expressed deep concerns with the way our decisions were made, the basis for them and with the lack of diverse consultation in our deliberations,” it said in a statement Friday.
“We hear you. We are sorry and regret the harm we have caused,” it said, adding “through these decisions and related communications we have not fully lived up to our mission and core values.”
CBC News has asked The Advocates’ Society if it now plans to reverse its decision and is awaiting a response.
The statement comes after a wave of lawyers resigned from the legal organization including high profile criminal lawyer Marie Henein, who served as president of TAS from 2010 to 2011.
Litigator Danielle Robitaille also confirmed she cancelled her membership and an upcoming speaking engagement over the move.
“Personally, it is very difficult for me to align myself with an advocates’ organization that cancels speakers because we may disagree with them,” Robitaille wrote in a social media post this week.
“I continue to engage with leadership and membership at the TAS to see if there is a path forward for the organization. In the meantime, I am out.”
Litigator Danielle Robitaille also confirmed she cancelled her membership and an upcoming speaking engagement over the move. (Submitted by Danielle Robitaille)
Employment and human rights lawyer Arleen Huggins cancelled her membership as well. “Rather than engaging in dialogue, there are those who, in the Trumpian manner, want to cancel and stifle free thought and speech, and wish to use associations such as the Advocates’ Society to do so,” wrote Huggins in a letter to TAS.
As CBC News reported last week, TAS, which says on its website that it was “established to ensure the presence of a courageous and independent bar,” rescinded Hadhad’s speaking invitation at its upcoming end-of-term dinner in Toronto after it said some members had raised concerns about his “public posts on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
The message did not point to any specific posts made by Hadhad or elaborate on what about them raised concerns.
The Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) previously told CBC News that when it pressed the organization for specifics, it was told the concerns stemmed from complaints about Hadhad’s use of the term “genocide” on social media, adding he had not provided what they deemed “equal comment” on other impacted groups.
TAS would not confirm those details to CBC News.
Lawyer flagged ‘one-sided view’ of war in Gaza
Lawyer Jonathan Lisus was among those who wrote to the organization to flag what he described as Hadhad’s “one-sided view” of the conflict, noting Hadhad did not appear to have posted in solidarity with the Israeli victims of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack or the hostages taken that day.
“I appreciate and advocate for the distinction between bona fide criticism of Israel and its policies on one hand and ill will towards the Jewish people on the other,” he said in a letter dated March 15.
“Sadly, Mr. Hadhad’s record of public statements makes a strong case that while expressing understandable concern for civilian deaths in Gaza he is unsympathetic, and certainly indifferent, to the harm and suffering of Jewish people and the Jewish state.”
On Oct. 19, 2023, amid Israeli air raids in Gaza following the attacks by Hamas days earlier, Hadhad wrote on X, calling for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the enclave and for an end of the fighting.
“Our Canadian government needs to not only call, but to pressure for an immediate ceasefire and save civilians’ lives. All human lives have equal weight and peace should prevail,” Hadhad wrote.
In another X post on Oct. 30, 2023, he wrote in part: “A child in Gaza is being killed every 15 minutes … How many are enough? Stop the killing. Stop the war.”
On May 27, 2024, Hadhad wrote in reference to the children of Gaza: “This genocide must be stopped. Children should wake up to the sound of birds, not the sound of bombs.”
WATCH | ‘We’re living off of canned food,’ Gaza family says as Ramadan nears end:
‘We’re living off of canned food,’ Gaza family says as Ramadan nears end
Nearly one month after Israel imposed a complete blockade on goods entering Gaza, families fasting for the holy month of Ramadan say finding food has been a struggle amid dwindling supplies and soaring prices.
‘If lawyers are not fighting for freedom of speech then who the hell will?’
Since the decision, fallout has continued, with numerous lawyers and advocacy groups, including the National GC Network (NGCN) and the South Asian Bar Association of Canada, calling on the organization to reverse course.
“In cancelling Mr. Hadhad’s keynote, TAS has abandoned its principle of giving a voice to all, reflecting a troubling lack of respect for the freedom of its members to hold diverse ideological perspectives. This decision has alienated many members and is plain wrong,” NGCN said in its letter, dated March 31.
On Thursday, 40 law professors from across the country also issued a letter containing a similar message.
“Put simply, the willingness to defend pro-Palestinian expression has become the canary in the coalmine for an organization’s ability to effectively foster diverse perspectives, and ultimately, to act as a meaningful force for democratic values,” the lawyers’ letter said.
“It is disturbing to see that, faced with this test, the Advocates’ Society has profoundly failed, and decided that the path of least resistance was to allow a veto over any speaker whose perspective may push members out of their comfort zone.”
In its letter, the South Asian Bar Association said: “Diversity and inclusion are not just words, they require action and commitment. In recent years, TAS has vocally committed to these ideals and fostered them. This decision sends that commitment stumbling backwards.”
Lawyer Kathryn Marshall spoke out over the decision on social media Tuesday, saying she was speaking ‘as a lawyer who is a staunch supporter of Israel and will fight to the end for my clients, many of whom are victims of anti-Semitism.’ (Scott Neufeld/CBC)
And while TAS alluded to members raising concerns over Hadhad’s stance on the war in Gaza, lawyer Kathryn Marshall spoke out over the decision on social media Tuesday, saying she was speaking “as a lawyer who is a staunch supporter of Israel and will fight to the end for my clients, many of whom are victims of anti-Semitism.”
“It is highly disturbing to me to see lawyers who claim to be top shelf litigators engaging in cancel culture,” Marshall wrote.
“If lawyers are not fighting for freedom of speech then who the hell will?”
In a report released just two days prior to Musk stepping down, financial watchdog Open The Books published a report finding it is likely impossible for the average American taxpayer to track the savings associated with the contracts and grants that were terminated by the DOGE team.
According to Open The Books’ analysis, which mined all the data published on DOGE’s official website, the average American taxpayer would likely only be able to confirm 42% of contracts and 27% of grants through an independent review of public federal spending databases.
“This doesn’t mean these targets aren’t real, it simply means it’s very hard for taxpayers who want to see additional savings to find proof and evidence of savings,” Open The Books points out in its analysis, shared in a report the group released Tuesday.
Elon Musk (LEFT) has been a controversial figure in the Trump administration, with many of his critics arguing he has wielded too much power in the Trump administration. (Getty)
“Because taxpayers don’t have access to real-time transparency and a real-time look at the Treasury Payment System, it’s still too difficult for even a highly motivated Joe Taxpayer to confirm the savings claims DOGE is making,” the analysis, released ahead of Elon Musk stepping down from running the agency, continued. “It’s also far too easy for critics to sew [sic] doubt and confusion.”
DOGE says on its website that the group’s work up to this point has provided the American taxpayer with $175 billion in “estimated” savings from the elimination of contracts, grants and leases, as well as through renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion and other mechanisms.
However, DOGE’s estimated savings have been contested by watchdog groups and budget experts. Such critics have posited that the inclusion of already canceled contracts, double-counting or misrepresentation of contract values, and the unaccounted cost burden that could be imposed on the government when it has to re-hire folks down the line, or revamp its productivity, due to DOGE cuts, have led to inflated savings estimates.
Nate Malkus, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, has accused DOGE of “overestimating contracts by a factor of two,” according to CBS News.
But White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital that DOGE has produced “historic savings” for the American people.
“DOGE is working at record speed to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, producing historic savings for the American people,” Fields said. “The DOGE Wall of Receipts provides the latest and most accurate information following a thorough assessment, which takes time. Updates to the DOGE savings page will continue to be made promptly, and departments and agencies will keep highlighting the massive savings DOGE is achieving.”
“DOGE’s job is to identify, not enact, savings targets. It’s up to Congress to do the heavy lifting,” Open The Books said in their analysis about DOGE savings. (Fox News Digital)
“DOGE and Elon Musk have done the country an incredible service by identifying savings targets,” added Open The Books CEO John Hart. “Having worked on the last major deficit commission with the late Senator Tom Coburn, we would have been elated to have had Musk in our corner. Now it’s up to Congress to not only turn DOGE’s recommendations into durable savings but to go beyond DOGE’s scope and truly tackle our long-term debt and deficit crisis.”
Open The Books highlighted two “common sense” standards to help establish an “intellectually honest” approach to understanding the true impact of government cuts, such as those being recommended by DOGE.
The first is the “durable standard,” which asks whether a proposed cut can be easily reversed.
“Describing something as ‘durable’ does not mean it is permanent or irreversible; it simply means it is hard to reverse,” the Open The Books’ analysis stated. “The most durable budget cut in our constitutional system would be passed by Congress, signed into law by the president and be clearly constitutional, or unassailable in a court challenge. Budget cuts become less durable when they lack any of these three elements.”
The second is called a “duty standard,” which illuminates the power behind certain cuts based on who is trying to impose them.
“In our constitutional system, the founders gave the job of budget savings to three branches but primarily to Congress,” Open The Books points out. “DOGE’s job is to identify, not enact, savings targets. It’s up to Congress to do the heavy lifting. And We the People have a responsibility to be informed and hold our elected officials accountable.”
White House Senior Advisor Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) on Mar. 9, 2025, in Washington, DC.(Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Open The Books ultimately concluded that due to various limitations associated with publicly available data on government spending and revenue, in particular a lack of real-time access to the government’s Treasury Payment System, it is still too difficult for even the most motivated average American citizen to either confirm, or deny, the savings claimed by DOGE.
Elon Musk officially stepped down from his role as DOGE chief Thursday evening, as his position of “special government employee” in the Trump administration was limited by law to a few months. Amid the transition, Musk criticized Republicans’ spending bill that was passed ahead of Memorial Day in the House, indicating he was “disappointed” it would increase the federal deficit.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS News in an interview that will air in full on June 1.
A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.
Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.
The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Image: Paul Doyle
Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.
He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.
A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.
According to his social media, he has travelled extensively, including to Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:43
New Liverpool incident footage
Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.
Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.
Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Image: Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA
‘Huge volume of evidence’
Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.
“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”
Police ‘working tirelessly’
Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.
“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”
IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Now Playing
Israel ‘backed and supported’ proposed ceasefire in Gaza, White House says
00:50
UP NEXT
Gunfire breaks out as thousands storm U.N. warehouse in Gaza
00:47
Israel: Hamas leader killed during military operation in Gaza
01:48
Israel says Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar has been killed
03:48
Crowds rush into aid distribution center in Gaza
00:54
Israeli nationalists gather for annual Jerusalem Day march
01:11
Gaza strip reeling from latest deadly Israeli strikes
03:00
American arrested in alleged plot to firebomb US embassy in Israel
01:47
Humanitarian aid enters Gaza after 11-week blockade
01:35
Aid trickles into Gaza after Israel loosens weeklong blockade
01:45
Two Israeli embassy staffers killed in shooting outside DC Jewish museum
03:47
Columbia University’s acting president acknowledges Khalil detention amid boos
01:10
Pope Leo calls for more aid to Gaza in first general audience
00:27
Ten-year-old boy killed in Israeli airstrike while looking for food in Gaza
01:25
Israeli PM Netanyahu faces political pressure from ‘right flank’ over handling of Gaza aid
03:25
‘Free Mahmoud’ chant disrupts Columbia graduation speech
00:53
Khan Younis residents flee amid Israeli military’s evacuation order
00:55
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip
01:36
Israeli airstrike sparks fire in Gaza displacement camp
01:14
Israeli airstrikes kill more than 250 in Gaza, officials say, as famine looms
01:30
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Israel accepted a proposed ceasefire in Gaza. Leavitt said she didn’t believe Hamas had made a decision about the proposal yet.May 29, 2025
Now Playing
Israel ‘backed and supported’ proposed ceasefire in Gaza, White House says
00:50
UP NEXT
Gunfire breaks out as thousands storm U.N. warehouse in Gaza
00:47
Israel: Hamas leader killed during military operation in Gaza
01:48
Israel says Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar has been killed
03:48
Crowds rush into aid distribution center in Gaza
00:54
Israeli nationalists gather for annual Jerusalem Day march