Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 16, 2010
• Invested on: September 16, 2011

Paul Copeland is a strong proponent of social justice and a defender of the disadvantaged. A lawyer specializing in criminal and national security defence, he played a key role in the creation of the Law Union of Ontario, which uses the law as an instrument of social change. A life bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, he has served as vice-chair of its Legal Aid Committee and as chair of its Equity and Aboriginal Issues Committee. He has also been strongly involved with the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted. As well, he is an advocate for democracy in Myanmar, helping to lead such groups as the Canadian Campaign for Free Burma.