QLaw Research Review
Imagine. Engage. Transform.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
The relevance of legal research
I am delighted to provide this message for our new research newsletter, which highlights the remarkable accomplishments of our faculty and graduate students
Legal research is the lifeblood of the rule of law It supports the judiciary in their decision-making, guides practitioners in their work, and informs legislators as they shape and reform the law. At Queen’s, research excellence is at the heart of our mission, and its impact extends far beyond the academy.
Publication in leading journals and the writing of influential monographs are hallmarks of scholarly distinction. Yet our faculty’s commitment goes further, ensuring that research is translated into classrooms, courtrooms, and public life. In teaching, students at both the JD and graduate levels benefit from exposure to the latest debates and ideas, equipping them with the skills to analyze, question, and innovate. This integration of research and pedagogy prepares our graduates to think critically and lead with purpose
Our faculty also play a vital role in professional and judicial education sharing insights through conferences, practitioneroriented publications, and training programs Their scholarship is a resource judges and lawyers can draw upon to navigate complex legal challenges.
Equally important is the public dimension of our research. Through op-eds, media commentary, and public lectures, Queen’s scholars bring clarity to urgent societal issues, showing how law operates not as an abstract concept but as a framework that shapes daily life.
Together, these contributions form a kaleidoscope of outputs: rigorous scholarship, inspired teaching, professional guidance, and public engagement This newsletter offers only a snapshot of the breadth and impact of our faculty’s work, but it reflects a shared commitment to advancing justice, strengthening the rule of law, and building better futures for us all
Colleen M Flood, Dean Queen’s Faculty of Law
“At Queen’s, research excellence is at the heart of our mission, and its impact extends far beyond the academy.”
Dean Colleen M. Flood
AWARDS
Mayor Bryan Paterson and Kingston Economic Development Corporation
CEO Donna Gillespie with Professor Borrows at the Kingston Young Professionals award ceremony.
Photo courtesy Daniel Solorio
Kingston Economic Development Corporation
Professor Lindsay Borrows earned a Kingston Young Professionals 40 Under 40 Award, which celebrates the exceptional achievements and contributions of individuals under the age of 40 who are making a significant impact in their profession and the greater Kingston community. Read more in this Queen’s Law article.
Professor Kimberly Murray received a King Charles III Coronation Medal, recognizing her significant contribution to Canada and Indigenous Peoples. Murray has dedicated much of her legal career to promoting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and advocating for Indigenous communities.
Professor Jacob Weinrib received the 2025 Canadian Association of Law Teachers (CALT) Academic Excellence Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to legal theory and constitutional law scholarship and his dynamic, narrative-driven approach to teaching. Read more in this Queen’s Law article.
APPOINTMENTS
Professor Lindsay Borrows was appointed as the inaugural holder of the Queen’s Law Professorship in Indigenous Law & Governance effective July 1, 2025, for an initial five-year term. Read more in this Queen’s Law article.
Professor Gail Henderson was appointed as the holder of the Allgood Professorship in Business Law effective July 1, 2025, for a three-year term Read more in this Queen’s Law article
Professor Ardi Imseis was appointed a member of the advisory board of the European Journal of International Law for a three-year term
Professor Joshua Karton was named to the ADR Institute of Canada’s Academic Advisory Panel, which supports the work of the Institute in training Canadian lawyers in ADR practice and contributes to rulemaking and law reform efforts He also joined two journal editorial boards: Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management (the journal of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators) and the recently revived Revue de prévention et règlement des différends
Professor Darryl Robinson was appointed to the scientific committee of the Journal of International Criminal Justice
Grégoire Webber was re-appointed visiting senior fellow at the chool of Economics and Political Science for the 2025-2026 year He was also re-appointed visiting professor at the é Paris-Panthéon-Assas for the 2025-2026 academic year
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
EVENTS
Queen’s Law, together with the Queen’s Vice-Principal Research office, hosted a writing retreat with a focus on Research Impact (Maximizing Article Reach and Citation Rate). Led by Larry McEnerney, (now retired) 30-year director of the University of Chicago’s writing program, the event was particularly valuable to faculty members doing research with an interdisciplinary component. (May 2025)
Faculty members also learned and worked collaboratively at a faculty retreat with a primary focus on teaching Among the topics was a session on using AI for advanced legal research, led by Professor Christa Bracci and Erica Friesen, Queen’s Law Research and Instruction Librarian. (May 2025)
Professor Kimberly Murray co-organized a two-day Law Commission of Canada-funded event, “Widespread and Systematic A Symposium on Crimes Against Humanity and Indigenous Peoples,” at Queen’s Law (June 2025). Read more in this Queen’s Law article.
PRESENTATIONS / ENGAGEMENTS
Guest Judge on the Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot, pictured here on closing reception with the Right Honourable Si Christopher Floyd, Lord Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal of England and (retre), and the Right Honourable Lord David Kitchin, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (retired), March, 2025.
Professor Bita Amani, member of the Global Expert Network on Copyright User Rights, on a panel presenting works in progress (co-authored with Queen’s Scholarly Publishing Librarian Mark Swartz) at the User Rights Symposium 2025: Principles for Progress in Digital Copyright, Geneva, June 2025.
Professor Bita Amani was on sabbatical as a Visiting Professor at Oxford University, Faculty of Law, working on an AI, IP, and equality project. She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre and a guest judge for the annual Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot She also delivered a variety of lectures and conference talks in Capetown (April 2025), Leeds (May 2025), Geneva (June 2025), and Copenhagen (June 2025)
Professor Beverley Baines presented her SSHRC-funded paper “Asserting primacy to challenge primacy” to the Academic Meeting with Feminist Scholars, organized by the Feminist Constitutionalism Project at the University of Brasilia following the ICON-S Brazil 2025 Conference (July 2025).
Professor Nick Bala presented “Parental Alienation: Junk Science or Child Abuse?” at the Return our Children Home Conference, Ottawa (May 2025) and “Litigation Abuse in Ontario Family Law Cases,” Law Society of Ontario, Family Law Summit (conference paper), Toronto (March 2025) He also conducted government contract research for “Child Witnesses in Canada’s Criminal Justice System: Progress, Challenges and the Role of Research,” Justice Canada, Victims’ Rights Digest (May 2025).
Professor Benjamin Ewing presented his paper “Offenders’ Reasons: A Critique of Christopher Lewis on Incentives and Culpability” at a conference on Sentencing the Ethically Motivated Offender, hosted by the Centre for European Legal Studies on Macro-Crime at the Department of Law, University of Ferrara, Italy (May 2025).
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
Dean Colleen M. Flood was was a panelist for “AI-powered Medical Devices: Regulatory Challenges and Perspectives,” at the International Seminar on Health Law and 30th Cycle of Debates of Nethis: Artificial Intelligence and Health: Dialogues and Convergences in Brazil-France-Canada Regulation, São Paulo, Brazil (April 2025). She also spoke on “Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Governance: Considerations for the Path Forward,” at the 2025 Health Policy Symposium & Sinclair Lecture, Kingston (May 2025); was a plenary panelist at "Geopolitical Impacts on Health Services and Policy Research in Canada: A Dialogue,” at the 2025 Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research Conference, Ottawa (May 2025); and was coorganizer/presenter at “Regulating Health AI: Canadian Law and Policy in Flux Workshop,” Montreal, Que. (July 2025).
Professor Debra Haak presented “Let’s Talk about Sex (and Gender)” at The Association for the Study of Law, Culture and the Humanities Annual Conference, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (June 2025)
Professor Gail Henderson spoke on three panels at the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference, University of Saskatchewan (June 2025) She presented her research on access to basic banking, discussed the concept of “financial vulnerability,” and reflected on her experience teaching in the Nunavut Law Program. She also acted as a moderator at Building Opportunities for Canada’s Financial Sector, presented by the Alberta Financial Research Partnership, Toronto (May 2025)
Professor Ardi Imseis addressed the International Court of Justice, one of several legal counsel representing Palestine in proceedings for an advisory opinion of the Court sought by the United Nations General Assembly (April 2025) Read more/watch the recorded proceedings He also presented his work as an invited speaker/guest lecturer at the following conferences/events: “The Context Behind the Gaza Genocide: On the ICJ before South Africa,” Parler de Gaza: Genocide, Destruction et Expression Université Paris Cité, Paris, France (June 2025); “Double-Standards in International Law,” Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland (May 2025); “Palestine and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the ICJ,” Duke University School of Law, N.C. (April 2025); “Palestine, the ICJ and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement,” University of Maryland School of Law, M D (April 2025); “Palestine at the ICJ” (teach-in), Queen’s University (April 2025); and “The United Nations and the Question of Palestine: Rule by Law and the Structure of International Legal Subalternity” (book talk), King’s College, University of Cambridge, U K (March 2025)
Professor Joshua Karton presented papers at conferences on two continents: “Preliminary Court Reviews of Arbitral Decisions on Jurisdiction: An Anomaly within the UNCITRAL Model Law” at the Taipei International Conference on Arbitration and Mediation (May 2025) and “Fluid Notions of Independence and Impartiality in International Arbitration” at the University of Leicester Arbitration Workshop U K (June 2025).
Professor Lisa Kerr was an invited speaker at the John Howard Society of Canada Annual Conference, Ottawa (March 2025); gave an invited lecture to the Courthouse Libraries of B.C. and Criminal Defence Advocacy Society, Vancouver (April 2025); and gave a presentation to newly appointed judges at the Ontario Court of Justice, Toronto (June 2025).
Professor Lisa Kelly joined in a virtual panel conversation, “A Crime to Rhyme: Race, Rap, and the Criminal Legal System,” for the 14th Annual Critical Perspectives Conference, “Transforming Justice,” hosted by University of Victoria (May 2025).
Professor Mary-Jo Maur presented “Support for Adult Children” at the LSO Family Law Summit (March 2025); “A round-up of Spousal Support for Superior and Appellate Court Judges” in Halifax (May 2025); and “Constructive Trusts in Family Law Cases” (with Justice David Jarvis), York Region Law Association (June 2025)
Professor Cherie Metcalf presented “Judicial Fact-Finding, Persuasion & Institutional Trust in Polarizing Cases” at the Society for Environmental Law & Economics (SELE) Annual Conference, Florence School of Transnational Governance, EUI, Florence, Italy (May 2025); at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference, Chicago (April 2025); and at the Ottawa-Queen’s Public Law WIP Workshop, Queen’s Faculty of Law (April 2025). She also co-presented “Culture & Private Enforcement of Public Law” at the SELE and MPSA conferences Both papers are part of SSHRC- funded research agendas Metcalf was also a commentator for “What should we expect from Constitutions? Lessons from the Bolivarian Constitutionalism” by Lucas Costa & Matheus Pesce, UNESP, Brazil, at the MPSA conference.
Professor Kimberly Murray presented “Powering Reconciliation: Building Trust with Indigenous Communities” at the Agents of Change Forum, Electricity Human Resources Canada, Toronto (May 2025) and at “The Search for Unmarked Burials at the Allan Memorial Institute” at the Canadian Anthropology Society/ Société Canadienne d’anthropologie Annual Conference, Montreal (May 2025).
Professor Darr presented “U.S Exceptionalism
International Courts at a symposium on Lawyering for Peace, UCLA, Berkeley (March 2025) and “Alternative Pathways for a Crime of Ecocide” at an American Bar Association webinar (July 2025) He also participated in a Queen’s-hosted works on colonial crimes again humanity against Indige Peoples in Canada (June
Professor Ivan Ozai was invited to lecture at the Instituto Brasileiro de Direito Tributário, University of São Paulo, on a comparison of Canada’s consumption tax system and Brazil’s ongoing tax reform (August 2025). He also served as a discussant at an International Law Association Committee for International Tax Law meeting in Paris, where he offered remarks on international tax law and the needs of developing countries (June 2025).
Emeritus of Jurisprudence and Public Law, University of Cambridge, at which the book “The Promise of Legality: Critical Reflections upon the Work of TRS Allan,” which Walters co-edited, was launched, Cambridge, Eng (May 2025)
Professor Ashwini Vasanthakumar presented the keynote, "Place-making, in philosophy and the world: home and elsewhere," at the Canadian Philosophical Association annual meeting, Toronto (June 2025).
Professor Grégoire Webber presented on human rights and social justice at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Conference on the Canadian Charter (June 2025); spoke remotely at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution (May 2025); presented on autonomy and dignity at a workshop at the Universitat de Barcelona (April 2025); and presented on opposition in the separation of powers at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (April 2025) and at the annual Queen's University-University of Ottawa public law workshop (April 2025).
Professor Jacob Weinrib presented his paper “The Architecture of Property Rights” at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (May 2025)
Professor Robert Yalden participated in the seventh session of the Working Group on Collaborative Legal Structures for Agricultural Enterprises (the “CLSAE Project”) as an expert observer, Rome (April 2025) The project is undertaken by The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Yalden also participated in the University of Oxford’s Business Law Workshop (May 2025), commenting on a paper presented by James Shipton (Senior Fellow, Melbourne Law School and former Chair, Australian Securities and Investments Commission), entitled “The Regulatory State: Faults, Flaws, and False Assumptions ”
Visiting Scholar
Professor Michele Leering at a People-centred Justice workshop, UBC (May 2025).
Professor Michele Leering, Visiting Scholar, presented “The new superpower: Integrative reflective practice as a core competency” at Lincoln Alexander School of Law (April 2025) and participated in a “Bridging Disability Accommodations from Clinical Legal Education Programs to Practice” symposium at Osgoode Hall (May 2025).
She also presented: “The Health Justice Landscape in Canada” and “Strengthening Legal Professional Capacity to Respond to the Opportunities of People-centred Justice,” at a PCJ workshop at UBC (May 2025); “RP 2.0: Emboldening Student Reflection as We Strengthen our Learning, Teaching and Research Through Collaboration” (with Professors Sharry Aiken and Lindsay Borrows), and “Exploring Unmet Health-harming Legal Needs for Learning, Research, and Teaching: Increasing Access to Justice by Enriching Public Health Law Curriculum” at a CALT conference (June 2025); “New Directions in Public Health Law: Advancing Law and Access to Justice as a Social and Structural Determinant of Health & Leveraging Health Justice Partnerships to Ameliorate Health-harming Legal Needs,” at the CLSA annual conference (June 2025); her white paper, “Knowledge for Implementing People-centred Justice: The Promise of Health Justice Partnerships,” at the World Justice Forum (June 2025); and “Re-envisioning Legal Competency Frameworks in the Age of AI and Growing Justice Gaps” at a Legal Education & Human Lawyer symposium (June 2025).
JOURNALS / BOOKS
Professors Sharry Aiken and Ardi Imseis contributed to a special issue of Queen’s Law’s PKI Global Justice Journal: “Human Rights and the International Court of Justice – Challenges and Opportunities.” Aiken co-wrote the introduction; Imseis wrote “Paradigm Shifts and the Palestine Moment: On the International Court of Justice and the Quest to Save International Law.”
Professors Nick Bala and Mary-Jo Maur contributed to “Understanding Family Violence in Family Court Proceedings: Providing Effective Responses for Victims, Children, and Perpetrators” (University of Toronto Press). Bala co-edited and co-authored several chapters in the book, and Maur wrote the chapter “Monetary Awards for Family Violence.” Bala and Maur also co-authored “Family Law: Text, Cases, Materials and Notes” (Thomson Reuters, 11th Edition), a casebook used at many Ontario law schools
Bala also wrote the chapter “Legal Issues: Parenting,” in The Family Dispute Resolution Handbook (LexisNexis) and co-authored “‘Parental Alienation’ Cases: Experiences of Ontario Legal and Mental Health Professionals” and “Appropriate Parenting Arrangements in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence and Coercive Control: From Research and Legislative Reform to Changes in Practice” in Family Court Review.
Professor Kevin Banks published "Recognizing the Charter Value of Employee Freedom of Association at Common Law," in the Osgoode Hall Law Journal
Professor Benjamin Ewing published “Affirmative Action in Criminal Justice” in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies
Dean Colleen M. Flood (with co-author Bryan Thomas) published “Cracking the code: a scoping review to unite disciplines in tackling legal issues in health artificial intelligence” in BMJ Health & Care Informatics. Additionally, their article “Medicare Makeover: Reimagining the Canada Health Act at 40,” was the focal point of a symposium in HealthcarePapers.
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
Professor Debra Haak published “Thinking Like a Practicing Lawyer as a Legal Research Methodology” in the Canadian Legal Education Annual Review and Treating Male Violence against Women and Girls as Hate in Canada in the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law She also co-authored a chapter on Section 7 of the Charter in The Canadian Constitutional Law Open Access Casebook – 2nd Edition
Professor Lisa Kerr published "A New Justification for Section 12 Hypotheticals and Two Rules for Constructing Them" (co-author), in the Supreme Court Law Review.
Professor Alyssa King published “Ethics for Traveling Judges” in the University of Toronto Law Journal.
Professor Michael Pratt published “Why are Deposits Deducted from Damages?” in the Canadian Business Law Journal. He revised and updated his contributions to new editions of two leading casebooks, one on the law of remedies and the other on contract law. He also signed a book contract with Irwin Law for a forthcoming monograph on exclusion clauses in Canadian contract law the first booklength treatment of the subject in Canada
Professor Mark Walters co-edited the book “The Promise of Legality: Critical Reflections
Walters also co-authored a chapter, “Parliament and Crown,” in The Canadian Constitutional Law Open Access Casebook –2nd Edition.
Professor Grégoire Webber published "Opposition" in The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory, "Rights and the law's progressive measures" in Rights and Parliamentary Systems in Canada and Beyond, and "Section 1: Reasonable Limits" (co-author) in The Canadian Constitutional Law Open Access Casebook – 2nd Edition
Professor Jacob Weinrib published the chapter “The Essence of Rights and the Limits of Proportionality” in “The Promise of Legality: Critical Reflections upon the Work of TRS Allan” (Hart Publishing, 2025) and co-authored a chapter, “Charter Interpretation,” in The Canadian Constitutional Law Open Access Casebook – 2nd Edition.
Professor Robert Yalden led 10 other Canadian business law scholars in the publication of “Business Organizations: Practice, Theory & Emerging Challenges” (Third Edition) The textbook is the most up-to-date and innovative text focused on Canadian business law, providing both a comprehensive overview of Canadian business law and analysis of a range of emerging issues It is the first in Canada with chapters devoted to Indigenous Peoples business law structures and social enterprise
Professor Mark Walters (far right), co-editor of “The Promise of Legality: Critical Reflections upon the Work of TRS Allan,” at the book’s launch in Cambridge, Eng. With Walters, from left, are co-editor Professor Geneviève Cartier (University of Sherbrooke), Professor TRS Allan, Lord Justice Sir Rabinder Singh (Court of Appeal for England and Wales) and Professor David Dyzenhaus (University of Toronto)
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
IN THE NEWS / OPINION
Professor Sharry Aiken was quoted in the Time Magazine article “What’s in Canada’s Immigration Bill and Why It’s Facing Backlash,” the Toronto Star article “Carney government introduces bill to beef up border security,” and The Globe and Mail article “Ottawa has duty to ensure welfare of Canadians in ICE custody, advocates say.”
Professor Nick Bala co-authored columns on “Addressing controversies over shared parenting orders” and “The Parenting Plan Guide: Time for version 2.0?” in Law360. He was also interviewed on the topic of youth crime and the SCC on Toronto Radio 640 CFIQ.
Professor Kevin Banks spoke to Corus Entertainment Calgary about the recent Air Canada strike in “Can you Defy a Federal Backto-work Order?”
Professors Lindsay Borrows, Kimberly Murray, and Mark Walters were featured in this Queen’s Law article that describes how each is pursuing research that contributes to Indigenous legal renewal and deeper understanding of treaties and legal systems in Canada.
Dean Colleen M. Flood discussed health care reform on CBC radio’s White Coat Black Art.
Professor Debra Haak was interviewed on CBC’s Your World Tonight for its story “UK Supreme Court rules on the definition of ‘woman’” (cue 19:12).
Professor Gail Henderson discussed “buy now, pay later” services to purchase concert tickets in The Globe and Mail.
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
Professor Ardi Imseis was quoted in Australia Will Recognize a Palestinian State. What Would That Mean? in The New York Times.
Professor Lisa Kelly discussed with CBC News how the world juniors sexual assault case could result in reactive law-making. She also discussed why a key piece of evidence was ruled inadmissible in the trial with CBC’s World Report (cue three-minute mark), and offered insights into the trial in a CBC News recap
Professor Lisa Kerr co-authored a Globe and Mail editorial, “It’s time to let lawyers come back to the Supreme Court,” which prompted follow-up coverage from Law 360 in which she was quoted Kerr also spoke to the CBC’s The National about the limits to the video evidence used in the world junior sexual assault trial and was quoted in the Toronto Star article “Why the Hockey Canada sex assault verdict hangs on the legal meaning of one word.” She also spoke to CBC Radio’s Metro Morning about the trial. On other topics, Kerr shared her thoughts on criminal law proposals presented throughout the federal election campaign in this Globe and Mail op-ed and explained the focus of the Liberal Government’s new crime policies with CTV News.
Professor Alyssa King published a three-part guest essay in Dorf on Law: “How to Break a Judiciary, Part 1: Choosing Your Judges,” “How to Break a Judiciary, Part 2: Difficult Working Conditions,” and “How to Break a Judiciary, Part 3: What is to be Done?” She was also quoted in “Law experts, observers raise questions as Ontario adds virtual courtroom restrictions,” CHCH
Professor Nicolas Lamp was quoted in “As the U S trade war drags, calls grow for Canada to cautiously improve ties with China,” CBC News, and discussed the Canada-U.S. trade war in the Queen’s Alumni Review. He also published a blog post on “What President Trump’s ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs Mean for International (Trade) Law” in EJIL: Talk! and was quoted in “At the G7, the trade war will be everywhere but on the agenda” in The Globe and Mail.
CITATIONS
In the Courts
Queen’s Prison Law Clinic played a pivotal role in a Supreme Court ruling that raises the legal standard for inmate discipline in provincial jails The Court directly cited the clinic’s arguments and Professor Lisa Kerr‘s research Read more in this Queen’s Law article
Professor Nick Bala’s scholarship was cited in three SCC decisions: Dunmore v Mehralian, 2025 SCC 20, related to the topic of international child abduction; and two cases related to youth sentencing: R v I M , 2025 SCC 23) and R v S B , 2025 SCC 24
Professor Kimberly Murray was featured in “Marking Red Dress Day,” Queen’s Alumni Review, in recognition of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) Murray also contributed to a Toronto Star op-ed on the fly-in court system and the crisis of police-related deaths of Indigenous Peoples, and was quoted in a CBC article about the repatriation of Percy Onabigon
Professor Debra Haak’s scholarship helped shape the SCC’s recent decision in R. v. Kloubakov, which upheld the constitutionality of two “commodification of sexual activity” offences in Canada’s Criminal Code Read Haak’s comments in Law360 Haak’s scholarship was also cited by the Alberta Court of King’s Bench in Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta v Sylvestre, 2025 ABKB 476
Professor Grégoire Webber's scholarship on the Canadian Charter's notwithstanding clause was cited in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal's decision in UR Pride v Saskatchewan
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
FUNDING
Professors Samuel Dahan, Nicolas Lamp, and Jacob Weinrib each received a SSHRC Insight Grant to advance their research. Dahan’s funding will develop his project, “Exploring Human-AI Methods for Access to Justice.”
Lamp’s funding will develop his research, “Trading in (Dis)Order: The Crisis of Globalization and the Future of International Trade Law and Policy;” and Weinrib’s funding, “Constitutional Rights and the Justification Crisis.” Read more about these three research initiatives in this Queen’s Law article.
In addition to Dahan’s SSHRC grant, his OpenJustice initiative received funding from NSERC and project partners totalling more than $1 3 million Read more in this Queen’s Law article Dahan also received Law Commission of Canada funding to co-organize (with the University of Ottawa and McGill University) a workshop to focus on legal/court data access and open-source infrastructure in law, with a view to a Canadian open legal corpus and governance models that support trustworthy legal AI.
Professor Gail Henderson received Canadian Foundation for Legal Research funding to support an open access guide to the regulation of high-cost financial services in Canada, allowing her to hire a part-time JD student research assistant through the summer and fall She also received a SSHRC Institutional Grant to study illegal lending
Professor Erik Knutsen was awarded a Canadian Foundation for Legal Research grant for a project on informed consent in Canadian medical malpractice law
Professor Kimberly Murray received Law Commission of Canada funding to co-host a two-day symposium titled “Widespread and Systematic A Symposium on Crimes Against Humanity and Indigenous Peoples ” Read more in this Queen’s Law article
Professors Ashwini Vasanthakumar and Grégoire Webber secured funding for a Bruce Mitchell Doctoral Fellowship in Law for a doctoral student, Ryan Peterson, who started in September.
LLM / PHD STUDENT ACTIVITIES
NOMINATIONS / AWARDS
LLM student Abigail Green (co-supervisor Professor Lindsay Borrows and Professor Danielle Lussier, Queen's National Scholar; Chair in Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives) was nominated for the 2024-2025 Governor General’s Gold Medal for her mini-thesis, “Walking in a Good Way: Espousing Indigenous Method(ologie)s and Pedagogies of Visiting and Beadwork in Legal Research.”
LLM student Daekwon Blair (supervisor Professor Kevin Banks) received the Canadian Bar Association Labour & Employment Law Section’s 2025 Essay Award, which recognizes the best scholarly paper submitted on a topic related to Canadian labour and employment law. His paper was titled “(Organized) Work and Industry 4 0: Substitution Threats, Strategic Decision Making for Industrial Relations, and Mandatory Bargaining ”
Devan Schafer, PhD’24 (former supervisor Professor Cherie Metcalf), received the Graduate Programs Award for best thesis in 2024, titled “Judicial Review of Systemic Administrative Injustice.”
PhD candidate Aileen Editha (supervisor Professor Lisa Kelly) was interviewed by CBC Radio’s As it Happens: “Bankrupt 23andMe is trying to sell Canadians' genetic information Here's what you can do ”
Ryan Peterson, Bruce Mitchell Doctoral Student (supervisors Professor Ashwini Vasanthakumar and Professor Grégoire Webber) joined Queen’s Law in September 2025.
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
DEFENSES
PhD candidate Abebe Alemu (supervisor Professor Cherie Metcalf) successfully defended his thesis, “Navigating Systemic Barriers: Experiences of Deaf Persons in the Criminal Justice System in Ethiopia ”
LLM student and PhD candidate Sonia Campbell (supervisor Professor Nick Bala) successfully defended her thesis, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Youth Living with Complex Circumstances An examination of the Risk Need Responsivity Rehabilitation Model’s ineffectiveness in preventing recidivism when addressing Youth Living with Complex Circumstances ”
LLM student Amarachukwu (Amara) Elekwa (supervisor Professor Joshua Karton) successfully defended her thesis, “Shopping Surveillance: A Study of Data Harvesting, Online Behavioral Advertisement, and Regulatory Responses in the Commodification of Consumer Data.”
PRESENTATIONS
LLM student Helena Maikido (supervisor Professor Gail Henderson) and PhD candidates Zain Mookhi (supervisor Professor Michael Pratt) and Deepti Panda (supervisor Professor Joshua Karton) presented their research at the Law & Entrepreneurship Conference at the University of Windsor Law. Helena presented “Supporting Entrepreneurship Through Legal and Policy Frameworks.” Zain and Deepti presented “Cross-Border Code: Building Legal Infrastructure for Global Tech & Trade at the Edge of Innovation.”
March 24 - Sept. 8, 2025 • law.queensu.ca
LLM students Abdullahi Abdulquadir and Daekwon Blair (supervisors Nicolas Lamp and Kevin Banks, respectively) presented their research paper, "A Legal Analysis of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Spread of Climate Change Mis/Disinformation in Canada" at the Annual DLGS Research Transition Conference in Halifax, N.S.
