John E. Read Medal Recipient

Armand de Mestral
2017
Armand de Mestral is an Emeritus Professor at McGill University and holds the Jean Monnet Chair in Law. He has been a Senior Fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) since 2014. Professor de Mestral was the Co-Director of the Institute of European Studies of McGill and the University of Montreal (2002- 2008) and before that served as the Interim Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University (1998 – 2002). He has written and published extensively. Notable works include: Second Thoughts: Investor-State Arbitration between Developed Democracies (co-author, 2017), Improving International Investment Agreements (coauthor, 2012), International Law (co-author, 7th edition, 2006) and Law and Practice of International Trade (2nd edition, 1999).
Professor de Mestral has served as a panelist and arbitrator in disputes under the WTO, the Canada – US Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA. He was a member of the Canadian Delegation to the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1973-1980) that led to the adoption of the landmark treaty, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He has also acted as a consultant to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the Law Commission of Canada, and served as the President of the Canadian Red Cross Society (1999-2001).
Professor de Mestral was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on December 28, 2007.