Mr. Stephen Stanton, a successful Australian barrister, was born in Australia but his parents are of Lebanese descent hailing from the village of Kfarsghab in North Lebanon. His concern for Human Rights and the independence of the Judiciary from political influence, his detachment to the land of his ancestors and the plight of the unjustly persecuted and oppressed motivated him into action. He fought for his ideals and the defense of justice in Lebanon for more than five years now.

After the series of persecutions and the campaign of oppression applied on a large section of the Lebanese population, and after the incarceration of Dr. Samir Geagea who in his suffering represented the Calvary of his Christian Community, Mr. Stanton volunteered into action and traveled to Lebanon where he assumed the role of Human Rights observer in the political trials of Dr. Geagea and the Lebanese Forces.

He was shocked and appalled at the injustice and persecution. He voiced his concerns loudly to International Human Rights organizations, a practice that put his name on the Lebanese Embassies black list denying him further visas to return back to the land of his ancestors.

As a result of the Human Rights abuse and violation perpetrated by the Lebanese Regime, Mr. Stanton established Cedarwatch, an organization dedicated to exposing and highlighting Human Rights violations in Lebanon, in an attempt to bring international pressure upon the Lebanese Regime.

Mr. Stanton helped dozens of Lebanese political asylum seeking around the Globe and detailed the practices and origins of the political persecution causing them to flee their homeland. He has become a recognized expert and reference on the Judicial System in Lebanon. His expertise has been the subject of specific rulings by Judges in cases in which he has appeared.

Mr. Stanton has written several papers and reports on the Human Rights in Lebanon. He, recently, was successful in a case in the Australian Courts involving Mr. Atef al Haber and the interpretation of Article 1F of the Refugee Convention. Mr. Al Haber was accused in Lebanon by the Judicial Council of participating in the killing of Mr. Danny Chamoon and his family, a political figure in Lebanon. The Australian Courts found the charge to be untrue and went further to point out the political motives behind the persecution of Mr. Atef al Haber and the Lebanese Forces members. The case is significant because it was the first occasion the Judicial Council's verdict and judgment in the Chamoon Decision was disregarded as unsafe and unsatisfactory.