Announcements and events

The fall issue of Vistas is now online! In this issue get to know the new Dean of Law, Susan Breau, and why she is so passionate about international humanitarian law, find out what so many of our law alumni are doing in Japan, learn how alumna Indra Heed Hornsby (’97) made a legal career in aerospace and orbital economics, see photos and a recap of the launch of our new Indigenous Law Degree Program and catch up on what faculty and fellow alumni are doing.

Lana Lowe, a UVic Law PhD student and member of the Fort Nelson First Nation has been named the 2018 Land Champion by the Real Estate Foundation of BC. The award was presented to Lana at a Gala event on October 11, 2018. In 2016, the award was given to Deborah Curran, the Executive Director of the Environmental Law Centre at UVic, who in turn nominated Lana for the award this year.

The historic launch today of the world’s first law degree to combine the study of Indigenous and non-Indigenous law welcomed the first cohort of 26 students from across Canada and acknowledged the efforts to establish the far-reaching response to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The new law program at the University of Victoria will help Indigenous peoples and Canada build enduring political and legal relationships. It will be applicable to rebuilding economies, environmental management, child welfare, education, human rights, healthy communities and housing. Students will learn how to understand Indigenous legal orders, reason with them, build institutions based on those orders, and design institutions and procedures that work in concert with other levels of Canadian law.

Dr. Susan Breau has been appointed the new dean of Law at the University of Victoria. Since 2014, Dr. Breau has been the Head of the School of Law at the University of Reading, UK, and has a distinguished record of achievement as a researcher, teacher and administrator. Her scholarship engages with multiple forms of law and legal orders, particularly in the law of armed conflict, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international disaster law. She completed her Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Masters of Arts degrees at Queen’s University. She practiced law in Kingston, Ontario, for almost 20 years before completing Master of Laws and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has taught and lectured at law schools throughout the United Kingdom and Australia. Dr. Breau was the Dorset Fellow in Public International Law at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

By Jeremy Webber, Dean of Law I am delighted to announce that we will have three faculty members joining UVic Law this coming July: David Milward, Sarah Morales and Geoff Loomer.

The season is not over yet, but so far our mooting teams are having an amazing year! The UVic team won the BC Law Schools Moot in early February, came first and second in the Canadian Client Counselling Competition at the end of February and advanced on to the International competition in April, won best oralist in the Wilson moot and won Runner Up Best Factum in the Fox Intellectual Property Moot in late February as well.

A new law program at the University of Victoria is the world’s first to combine the intensive study of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous law, enabling people to work fluently across the two realms. Students will graduate with two professional degrees, one in Canadian Common Law (Juris Doctor or ‘JD’) and one in Indigenous Legal Orders (Juris Indigenarum Doctor or ‘JID’). Their education will benefit areas such as environmental protection, Indigenous governance, economic development, housing, child protection and education—areas where currently there is an acute lack of legal expertise to create institutions that are grounded in Indigenous peoples’ law and to build productive partnerships across the two legal systems.

On Wednesday, February 7, more than 150 people participated in an animated conversation with BC's most distinguished public-sector jurist, Ted Hughes QC, on his remarkable career in the pursuit of law in the public interest. Hughes was interviewed by CBC journalist Laura Lynch (herself a graduate of UVic Law in 1988). The event was opened by our special guest the Hon David Eby QC, Attorney-General of BC, and closed by our equally special guest Maureen Maloney QC, Professor at SFU, former Deputy Attorney-General of BC, and former Dean of Law at UVic – indeed the first woman to be appointed dean of a law school in BC.

The Faculty invites applications for up to two full-time tenure-track or tenured positions. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, with rank and tenure status determined after an assessment of accomplishments and experience. The expected start date would be 1 July 2018. In accordance with the University’s Equity Plan and pursuant to section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, the selection for the first position will be limited to members of the following designated group: Aboriginal Peoples. Candidates for this position must self-identify. The selection for the second position is open to all applicants. We encourage applicants for the second position to self-identify Indigenous and other characteristics relevant to UVic Law’s diversity commitments.

Val Napoleon, one of Canada's most influential Indigenous scholars, was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars on November 24, 2017. At the Celebration of Excellence in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a ceremony officially welcomed new members to the College. Val Napoleon holds the Law Foundation Chair of Aboriginal Justice and Governance at UVic. She is the founder of the university’s Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU), which is committed to the recovery and renaissance of Indigenous laws and the only dedicated unit of its kind in the country.

The UVic Faculty of Law presents: Indigenous Law: Today and Tomorrow with John Borrows and Val Napoleon 7:30 p.m. Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria. Join Chancellor Shelagh Rogers, Indigenous leaders, community members, and scholars to mark this historic moment as we celebrate the launch of the world’s first Indigenous law degree. Dr. Borrows will explore Salish Law and Land: Lessons Learned and Dr. Napoleon will look at the future of Indigenous Law: Fast Forward. This free public lecture has reserved seating.

Shiri Pasternak presents "What is colonialism that does not dispossess? Ecologies of Care and Supply at Barriere Lake." This presentation examines the materialities of colonialism from the perspective of a present-day Algonquin community in northern Quebec.

Join us in celebrating the Law Class of '93! This reunion will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with fellow grads! Saturday, September 15, 2018 4:00 pm: Meet and greet with classmates and former professors in the Fraser Building 6:00 pm: Dinner & Dance at the University Club Cost: $125 per person (includes catering, gratuity and taxes) Sunday, September 16, 2018 10:00 am: Golf (optional, not included in above price) at Cordova Bay Golf Course If you have any questions, please contact Liz Eby, Law Alumni Relations Officer at lawalum@uvic.ca or 250-853-3518.