James Manly

James Douglas Manly (born 29 October 1932) was a New Democratic Party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was a clergyman, factory worker and logger by career.

Manly was ordained a minister in the United Church of Canada in 1957.

His first attempt at entering federal politics was unsuccessful as he was defeated at British Columbia's Cowichan—Malahat—The Islands electoral district in the 1979 federal election. He won the riding in the 1980 federal election and was re-elected in the 1984 election. After this he left national politics having served in the 32nd and 33rd Canadian Parliaments. In parliament, Manly served as the New Democratic Party's Aboriginal Affairs critic. As an MP he refused to support the Meech Lake Accord despite his party's official support for the constitutional deal, and walked out of the House of Commons during one of the votes on the accord.

Manly also unsuccessfully attempted to enter British Columbia politics for the NDP in 1969 at the provincial Prince Rupert riding.

He has remained active in peace and social justice issues and has engaged in Central American solidarity work on behalf of the United Church. In 1997, he wrote The Wounds of Manuel Saquic : Biblical Reflections from Guatemala. Published by the United Church's publishing arm, the book explored the issues of poverty, justice, solidarity and liberation theology in Guatemala and Central America linking issues with biblical passages. He also served as a member of the United Church's British Columbia task force on residential schools and recommended that the church apologize to aboriginal Canadians for its role in the institutions.

Manly supported Svend Robinson's unsuccessful bid to win the NDP's federal leadership convention in 1995 and Jack Layton's successful candidacy in 2003.

On 20 October 2012, Manly was arrested by Israel for trying to breach a blockade of the Gaza Strip on the ship Estelle. He was released on 25 October, saying that he suffered only minor indignities.