Dr. Pacifique Manirakiza is a Full Professor and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section, PCLF) of the University of Ottawa. He teaches Canadian criminal law, international criminal law, African international law, and international human rights law. He is the co-chair of the International Law Group at the Faculty of Law, which includes more than 50 law professors.
In 2011, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union elected Professor Manirakiza to serve as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. As In this capacity, he was appointed chair of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights. Professor Manirakiza took advantage of this position and his status to dedicate time to advocacy for the rights and empowerment of local communities affected by the extractive industry in Africa.
In 2014, he was appointed a member of the first African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan tasked with investigating serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, under the chairmanship of H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria. He co-authored a report which laid the ground work for transitional justice initiatives in South Sudan.
In 2014, Professor Manirakiza, as a representative of the African Commission, led a team of lawyers appearing before the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights on behalf of the Ogiek indigenous people of Kenya. The Court’s judgement in this seminal case sets a precedent in the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples in Africa.
Dr. Manirakiza was also a member of a defense team before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where he previously served as a legal intern. In Burundi, he served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Burundi and as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in the provinces of Ngozi and Rutana. He also participated, as a legal advisor, in the peace negotiations on Burundi in Arusha, Tanzania.
Dr. Manirakiza is regularly solicited to share his knowledge and expertise in Africa and around the world through regular trainings and moot courts on international criminal justice, transitional justice, human rights and international humanitarian law.