A glass of port, anyone? The International Law Society held its final “Port Talk” for the school term on Monday featuring Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. The International Law Society certainly knew how to draw a crowd by offering guests, mostly U of T law students, a complimentary glass of port. The lecture room was packed with students, professors and even a cameraman from the Global television network. The event was sponsored by Aird & Berlis, a Toronto-based law firm, which accepted seven U of T law students this year.

The lecture focused on the International Criminal Court, the UN and the USA in light of Iraq. Heinbecker, suffering from a mild cold, was in good humour and began with an apology. “Being a Canadian, I begin every speech with an apology. Today, I will apologize for having a disappearing voice. So those people who are in the back row might want to risk catching whatever I have and come to the front row,” he quipped.

In the 45-minute lecture, Heinbecker addressed the issue of the Iraq war, the US’s unilateral approach and disregard of international laws with the main point that “the US administration is arguably less interested in international law than previous administrations.” He asked, “What caused this change? Why did the United States basically overthrow or attempt to overthrow 70 years of international law? It can’t just be because the United States has gained unprecedented power…something else has to be there…was it 9/11?”

Throughout the lecture, Heinbecker punctuated the seriousness of the issue with light humour and often shared a laugh with the audience. “I just want to make it clear that I’m not an anti-American…this is just a rant by somebody who has a cold and not rational under the influence of the port,” he joked.

However, he believed two crucial questions remain to be answered. Are the Iraqis better off as a result of the war and is the world better off? Heinbecker believed for the Iraqis, it is too soon to tell. But for the world, the answer is “no,” referring to the recent bombings in Spain. Heinbecker further claimed that Canadians have reason to be angry with the US because the United States has thrown away 70 years of international law and has undermined the United Nations. He added, “The US has dug itself into a huge hole.”