Mario Silva (politician)

This article is about the Canadian MP. For other people of that name, see Mário Silva (disambiguation).

Mário Silva
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Davenport
In office
June 28, 2004 – May 2, 2011
Preceded byCharles Caccia
Succeeded byAndrew Cash
Toronto city councillor
In office
1994–1997
Preceded byTony O'Donohue
Succeeded byWards reorganized due to the municipal amalgamation of Toronto
ConstituencyWard 3 (Brockton)
Toronto city councillor
In office
1997–2003
Preceded byWard established
Succeeded byAdam Giambrone
ConstituencyWard 20 (Trinity-Niagara)
Personal details
Born (1966-06-11) June 11, 1966 (age 58)
Azores, Portugal
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ProfessionLegal scholar

Mário Silva (born June 11, 1966) is a Canadian legal scholar and former politician. Silva served as a Canadian member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011. He began his political career as a Toronto city councillor from 1994 to 2003. He then moved to federal politics, being elected for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2004 election in the Toronto riding of Davenport. He served as the Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs (Americas) after having served as Critic for the Treasury Board and Labour. In 2007, the President of the French Republic bestowed him the title of Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur). He has also been awarded the Order of Merit of Portugal.[1] and the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil.

Silva holds a BA in political science from the University of Toronto, a "Certificat de Langue Française" from Paris-Sorbonne University, and a master's degree in International Human Rights Law from University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.[2] Silva holds a PhD in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Silva's PhD thesis is titled "Failed and Failing States: Causes and Conditions."[3] On December 15, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him to chair the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (formally the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF)) in 2013.[4] He is currently a distinguished fellow, law and business at Ryerson University in Toronto. On July 30, 2020 he was appointed vice chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

  1. ^ "Award to Canadians". Mario Silva. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Official Biography". Human Rights Doctorate. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Official Biography". Mario Silva. Liberal Party of Canada. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  4. ^ "Minister Kenney announces Canada's appointment to chair International Task Force on Holocaust Education". Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2011.