The Honourable Ronald (Ron) George Atkey (born February 15 1942) is a lawyer, law professor and former Canadian politician. Atkey, a lawyer by training, was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of St. Paul's in the 1972 Canadian election only to be defeated two years later in the 1974 Canadian election. Atkey avenged his defeat in the 1979 Canadian election that brought the Tories to power under Joe Clark who apinted Atkey to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of Employment and Immigration . Clark's minority government was short-lived, however, and Atkey was defeated a year later in the 1980 Canadian election.

Atkey did not attempt a return to politics subsequently and returned to his law practice becoming a senior partner in the firm of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. From 1984 to 1989 served as Chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee which oversees the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Atkey has taught law at the University of Western Ontario, Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto and wrote Canadian Constitutional Law in a Modern Perspective which was a popular constitutional law textbook in the 1970s. In 1994 he wrote a novel, "The Chancellor's Foot “. He also lectures on national security law and international terrorism as well as being an expert on commuinications and cultural law. and has written on the exemption from NAFTA of Canadian cultural industries.

In 2004 he was appointed Amicus Curiae to the Arar Commission in order to act as an independent counsel with the responsibility of testing government requests made on the grounds of national security confidentiality.

Atkey has also served as legal counsel to Warner Communications and played a role in the company's merger with America Online.

External links

• Profile of Atkey from the University of Western Ontario's law alumni magazine.