Robert Tibbo is a Canadian human rights lawyer, currently practising law in Nova Scotia Canada. His current practise includes criminal, constitutional and administrative law. He also does work on commercial and labour litigation as well as family law. Mr. Tibbo appears at all levels of provincial and federal courts and does significant criminal appeal work.
Previous to his law practise in Canada, Mr Tibbo was a barrister in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2023. In Hong Kong he acted for clients in high profile extradition, deportation and removal cases.
Most notably Mr Tibbo acted for American Whistleblower Edward Snowden and the refugees (“Tibbo Refugees“) who sheltered Mr. Snowden in Hong Kong during June 2013. He successfully secured safe passage for Snowden out of Hong Kong. He successfully fought for the Tibbo Refugees to secure their refugee status. Today six of the seven refugees are now resettled in Montreal, Canada. The plight of Mr Snowden and the Tibbo Refugees was portrayed in the Oliver Stone film Snowden (2016).
Tibbo had previously been active in wider social advocacy previously serving as director of Vision First (2013-2017) a NGO providing human rights advocacy and humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers in Hong Kong.
On 30 November 2017, facing threats to his safety, security and liberty from Hong Kong authorities for his role in acting for Mr Snowden and the Tibbo Refugees, with advice and assistance from “Lawyers Without Borders Canada” and consular officers from the Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong, Mr. Tibbo was able to flee from Hong Kong going into exile.
