Allan Michael Rock (born August 30, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2003-2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister (1993–1997), Health Minister (1997–2002) and Minister of Industry and Infrastructure (2002-03).
Rock was appointed as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa by its Board of Governors on June 3, 2008. His term began on July 15, 2008, and it ended on July 1, 2016. Rock was subsequently designated president emeritus. His presidency was marked by steady growth in uOttawa's reputation as a research-intensive university with a strong Canadian and international profile. and is chair of the Board of Directors of Security Council Report.
Early life
Allan Rock was born to James Thomas Rock and Anne (née Torley) Rock in Ottawa, where he was raised and educated through secondary school. He received a B.A. in 1968 and an LL.B. in 1971 at the University of Ottawa, and he began a 20-year career as a trial lawyer where he specialized in civil, commercial, and administrative litigation. He practised with the Toronto firm then called Fasken and Calvin, later the international firm Fasken.
Rock served as president of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) for the 1969-70 year. He had previously served on the executive of the Arts students association and briefly as SFUO External Commissioner.
In June 1969, Rock met John Lennon during the Lennon's "bed-in" in Montreal; Lennon accepted Rock's invitation to attend a "peace conference” in Ottawa. Following the conference in Ottawa, Rock drove Lennon and wife Yoko Ono around the city in Rock's modest Volkswagen. At Lennon's request, they went to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s official residence at 24 Sussex Drive; however, Trudeau was not home, so Lennon wrote a note on the spot and left it at the door. Six months later, Lennon returned to Ottawa and finally met Trudeau.
On graduation from law school, Rock joined Fasken & Calvin, a noted Bay Street law firm in Toronto, where he worked in the litigation department with Walter Williston, Ron Rolls, and Bill Graham. He rose to become partner. Rock and Rolls co-taught the civil procedure section of the Bar Admission course (bringing a smile to many young lawyer's face). Rock was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1985.
Rock served 10 years as a Bencher (governor) of Ontario's Law Society, being elected by members of the profession in the elections of 1983, 1987 and 1991. He was acclaimed by his peers as the 52nd Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada, serving from 1992 until 1993.
Ministerial career
In 1993, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre and named Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He later endorsed Stéphane Dion's successful bid to lead the party.
Ambassador to United Nations
On December 12, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of Paul Martin, appointed Rock as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations. Rock thereupon resigned his seat in the House of Commons. As Canada's ambassador to the UN, Rock spoke to the UN General Assembly on April 13, 2004, encouraging participation of the member nations of the United Nations on the matter of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
As the voice of Canadians at the United Nations, Rock was an outspoken advocate of human rights, human security, and reforming the UN. Rock remained in office until June 30, 2006 at Harper's request. Upon his departure, he called for an overhaul of the UN.
Rock was later appointed as a UN Special Envoy to investigate allegations that child soldiers were being forced to fight in the Sri Lankan civil war. Rock submitted his report about child soldiers in Sri Lanka on January 15, 2007 to the Security Council of the UN.
After public life
Rock announced earlier in June 2006 that he would be moving to Windsor, Ontario, to resume his legal career with Harvey Thomas Strosberg at Sutts, Strosberg LLP. Rock continued to publish op-eds around international issues, including the conduct of UN peacekeepers, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the G20.
University of Ottawa President
It was announced in May 2008 that Rock would be appointed as the next president of the University of Ottawa. Rock was an alumnus of the university and had graduated in 1970 with a law degree.
In 1969, during his time as a student at the University of Ottawa, Rock was President of the SFUO (the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa), then the undergraduate student union for the University of Ottawa Ten months later, the task force released a report making 11 recommendations, which Rock promised to implement, saying "that his school will become a 'beacon' dedicated to eradicating issues of sexual violence."
His term ended on July 1, 2016, and Rock was succeeded by Jacques Frémont.
Controversies
Censorship
On February 26, 2009, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association wrote to Rock to express its concern over his administration's banning of a student poster and to ask that he redress the situation with a public declaration.
Ann Coulter
Amid much media attention, right-wing commentator and author Ann Coulter was scheduled to give a talk at the University of Ottawa on March 23, 2010. The talk was cancelled following student protests at the talk venue. The organizers of the event blamed the university and the protesters. Rock in turn responded in a university press release suggesting that the organizers may have needlessly cancelled the talk. At the centre of the controversy was a letter sent to Coulter before her scheduled talk in Ottawa, signed by the Vice President (Academic), which warned that Coulter could be arrested for hate speech. The letter was condemned as a violation of academic freedom by the Canadian Association of University Teachers and was widely criticized in the media. Three weeks after the cancelled event, Rock publicly stated having pre-approved the letter as the institution's official response.
During his time in government, Rock was accused of ethical improprieties after accepting free hospitality from the Irving family, although at the time he was Minister of Health which had no dealings with that family. No wrongdoing was ever established.
Honours
In 2017, Rock was made a member of Order of Ontario.
in 2020, Rock was made a member of the Order of Canada Order of Canada