Law & the Courts

A video game screen with a planet in the background Society

The final frontier… for law 

The rise of space tourism, an increase in potentially dangerous space debris, the possibility of asteroid mining – as the technologies associated with space exploration continue to advance, an award-winning book by legal scholar Michael Byers asks if international law is keeping pace.

Arif Virani Society

A new face for Canada’s top justice job

Canada’s justice minister and attorney general Arif Virani on tackling online hate, the importance of diversity in the judiciary, and how kicking around a soccer ball can break through partisan divisions even in a deeply polarized Parliament.

Claudia Dey, Julian Sher, Mariko Tamaki, and Rosemary Sullivan Culture

Books to consider for your holiday reading

McGill graduates who have published books in recent months include Claudia Dey, Julian Sher, Mariko Tamaki, and Rosemary Sullivan.

Illustration of people balanced on the scales of justice Society

A different way of looking at justice

Alberta judge Anna Loparco, BCL/LLB‘02, MBA’03, and New York attorney Erika Sasson, BCL/LLB’06, are each leading initiatives that reimagine the way courts deal with criminal cases – by incorporating the principles of restorative justice.

Adelle Blackett smiling Discovery

A more inclusive vision of law

Over the course of her career, McGill law professor Adelle Blackett has never been shy about questioning the status quo. Her work has altered the landscape for domestic workers in dozens of countries and for Black academics in Canada.

Sheilah Martin, Mahmud Jamal and Nicholas Kasirer Society

An inside look at the highest court in the land

Three of the justices on the Supreme Court of Canada are McGill law graduates. Sheilah Martin, BCL’81, LLB’81, Mahmud Jamal, BCL’93, LLB’93, and Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85 share their thoughts on the work they do, the way they approach that work, and how their time at McGill helped prepare them for their current roles.

People

An advocate for animals

Alanna Devine, BCL/LLB’06, the former director of advocacy at the Montreal SPCA, heads Devine Animal Law, a firm that works with organizations that are focused on animal protection. “I think [animal law] is gaining traction quickly.”

People

A voice for racial justice

The killing of George Floyd by police last spring sparked protests throughout North America and forced a new focus on how Black communities are treated by the police and the justice system. Anthony Morgan, BCL/LLB’12, has become an important voice advocating change.

Benjamin Perrin in front of a graffiti wall Culture

Examining Canada’s opioid crisis

As former prime minister Stephen Harper's justice and public safety advisor, Benjamin Perrin, LLM'07, supported Harper's tough-on-crime stance on drugs in the early 2010s. In his new book on Canada's opioid crisis, though, Perrin argues for a very different approach. 

Back to top