The Ontario Legal Philosophy Partnership (OLPP), which聽celebrates its founding with a launch reception聽on Friday, May 13 in the Great Hall of McMaster鈥檚 University Club, is the brainchild of three internationally recognized legal philosophy professors who will be the partnership鈥檚 administrators. (Osgoode); Michael Giudice (91亚色 Philosophy); and Wil Waluchow (McMaster Philosophy and the聽Senator William McMaster Chair in Constitutional Studies) are the brain trust behind the partnership.

Above: From left, OLPP founders and administrators Michael Giudice (91亚色), Wil Waluchow (McMaster) and Fran莽ois Tanguay-Renaud (Osgoode)

"Through the OLPP, Osgoode, as well as McMaster's and 91亚色's departments of philosophy confirm their status as international leaders in legal philosophy and associated dimensions of political and moral philosophy,鈥� said Tanguay-Renaud, co-director with Giudice of the new combined Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Philosophy (JD/MA) program offered by Osgoode and 91亚色鈥檚 philosophy department, and acting director of the at Osgoode.

鈥淭his collective effort, which builds on solid pre-existing relations between the partners, promises to enable new ambitious research collaborations and grant applications, allow for the development of cutting-edge opportunities for our JD and graduate students, and project even further the partners' already well-established reputations in the field."

Tanguay-Renaud said the OLPP formalizes existing links between the three partners that have become increasingly solid and fruitful since the beginning of the millennium.

鈥淭he OLPP will create even further opportunities for each institution and their students,鈥� said Tanguay-Renaud, noting that it has already helped to inspire and dynamize the Nathanson Centre鈥檚 Legal Philosophy between State and Transnationalism international seminar series, Osgoode鈥檚 鈥橭r 鈥橢met annual public lecture, the Transnational Legal Theory Journal, the McMaster visiting speakers series, Osgoode鈥檚 recent criminal law theory international conference, and other prominent legal philosophy initiatives at McMaster and 91亚色.

The OLPP鈥檚 latest initiative sees McMaster鈥檚 philosophy department, under the leadership of Waluchow and fellow OLPP member Professor Stefan Sciaraffa, hosting an international conference on 鈥淭he Nature of Law: Contemporary Perspectives鈥澛燤ay 11 to 15, with most of the biggest names in general analytical jurisprudence present.

The OLPP, which is also composed of a large contingent of faculty members from the three partner institutions, will be strongly represented in the conference program with Giudice delivering one of the keynote addresses. One of Osgoode鈥檚 newest hires, Professor l (hired from the University of Warwick in the UK), and Distinguished Research Professor (now serving as acting dean of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Graduate Studies) will also be presenting papers.

Suzanne Crosta, dean of McMaster鈥檚 Faculty of Humanities, and Osgoode Hall Law School Dean both have high praise for the OLPP. 鈥淲e look forward with great anticipation to the rich intellectual synergies that will result from the new partnership,鈥� Crosta said.

鈥淭he partnership brings together internationally recognized scholars to explore a shared passion for the philosophy of law and will provide a unique experience for the law and philosophy graduate students involved,鈥� noted Sossin.

What鈥檚 more, Brian Leiter, professor of law and philosophy at the University of Chicago and one of the most eminent legal philosophers of our day, has written glowingly about the OLPP on his philosophy . "This will be of interest to students of legal philosophy, involving 91亚色, Toronto (and its law school, Osgoode) and McMaster University," writes Leiter,聽聽"which, together, comprise probably the strongest legal philosophy cohort in Canada and one of the best ones in North America."

For more information, visit the聽 website.

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Right: Professor Sanjeev Purshotam Sahni (left), head of strategic human resources and assistant dean of Research聽& International Collaborations at Jindal Global Law聽School, and Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Lorne Sossin

Osgoode is leading the way among Canadian law schools in this kind of research-driven collaboration in India and in thinking creatively about how to engage legal educators and the legal profession in both countries to achieve mutually beneficial results, says Lisa Philipps, Osgoode associate dean research, graduate studies & institutional relations.

The delegates found the trip valuable both for their current research on transnational legal issues and for the development of Osgoode鈥檚 institutional relationships and collaborative programs in India.

鈥淎s this Osgoode trip to India vividly demonstrated to those who participated, we have much of value to learn from India, and much to share as well,鈥� says Osgoode Dean .

Above: Professor Charles D. Maddox, assistant director of the Centre for Global Corporate & Financial Law & Policy,聽Professor Vikramaditya Khanna, visiting faculty at Jindal Global Law School,聽and Philipps, associate dean research, graduate studies & institutional relations at Osgoode,聽discuss issues at the symposium in India

Sossin and Philipps were among the Osgoode delegates to attend a two-day joint symposium, , with faculty and graduate students from Jindal Global Law School at O.P. Jindal Global University. The symposium explored issues ranging from access to justice and legal regulation of sexuality to the tax treatment of foreign investment.

Left: From left, Arun Khatri, Jindal Global Law School research associate,聽with Dayna Scott, Lorne聽Sossin and Allan Hutchinson of Osgoode

It was a continuation of last year鈥檚 symposium at 91亚色, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada and Osgoode's , which included a delegation from India (See YFile, Oct. 25, 2010).

鈥淭his two-part conference was designed to establish an Indian-Canadian conversation on issues of pressing mutual interest,鈥� says Philipps. 鈥淚ndeed, too often, a separation of opinions between elements of the global North and global South is presumed insurmountable on issues ranging from climate change to development. In the last five years, from Hong Kong to Copenhagen, critical global issues have been mired in a difference in perspective between nations.鈥�

Right: From left, Philipps; Professor Y.S.R. Murthy, assistant dean of projects & institutional development and executive director of the Centre for Human Rights Studies; and Charles D. Maddox

Through research and collaborations, such as the one with India, 鈥淲e can facilitate discussions about innovative solutions to local and global policy issues,鈥� she says. 鈥淐anada and India have the possibility to play bridge-builders in this North-South dialogue. It is believed that a Canadian-Indian dialogue can adopt a more sober, and potentially incisive, outlook on a range of global policy issues that simply cannot be ignored as yet another decade draws to a close.鈥�

One of the benefits of the collaboration is a Memorandum of Understanding between the two law schools, which is currently being developed to include JD and graduate student exchanges and continued faculty visits. Discussions are underway toward a variety of joint teaching and research initiatives. Osgoode also renewed its student exchange agreement with the National Law School of India at Bangalore and strengthened relations with other law schools, including the National Law University in Delhi.

Left: Professor Fran莽ois Tanguay-Renaud (left), acting director of the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime & Security, and Sanjeev Purshotam Sahni

鈥淥sgoode faculty, staff and students have expressed both interest and excitement to develop more exchanges, internships, joint conferences, research projects and collaborative pro bono projects, just to scratch the surface,鈥� says Sossin.

In addition, Osgoode faculty met with Supreme Court justices, government ministers, independent think tanks, non-governmental organizations and leading members of the legal profession.

A selection of the best new research coming out of this collaboration will be published in an upcoming聽peer-reviewed special issue of the .

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

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Such a聽19th-century case of murder and cannibalism is highlighted in Osgoode Hall Law School聽Professor 's new book, . Hutchinson, a Distinguished Research Professor,聽takes a look at eight cases in his book and how they have strongly influenced common law.

鈥淭hese are interesting stories largely about interesting people who end up in extraordinary circumstances,鈥� says Hutchinson. He chose these stories to illustrate that the law is a lot less structured and technical than most people realize. It is not just arcane rituals and rules. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a gritty, sometimes grubby process of trying to develop law on the fly. When you scrub everything away, the law looks at dilemmas that change us as a society.鈥�

One of the more famous dilemmas Hutchinson explores is well known by law students around the world 鈥� the 1884 case of R vs. Dudley and Stephens involving the murder and consumption of cabin boy Richard Parker following the wreck of the Mignonette, which sailed out of England and headed to Australia.

Captain Tom Dudley, Edwin Stephens and Parker abandoned the yacht for the lifeboat with nothing more than two tins of turnips and no water. About three weeks later, with Parker in a coma, Dudley and Stephens decided to kill and eat him to survive. Once rescued and back in England, the pair stood trial for murder and were sentenced to death 鈥� the judges having decided that there was no common law defence of necessity to a charge of murder, legally, ethically or morally. In the end, the men only had to serve six months in prison.

Left: Allan Hutchinson

That ruling, says Hutchinson, continues to have repercussions in common law today. "But the most startling coincidence is one of those rare occasions where life follows art," says Hutchinson. In 1837, almost 50 years before the Mignonette set sail, Edgar Allan Poe published his only novella: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. "The story聽tells of a young man who is shipwrecked along with two others. They survive for several days on the ship鈥檚 floating hull, but soon realize that they can only survive if one of them sacrifices himself for the benefit of the other two. After drawing lots, the cabin boy loses out and is killed and eaten.聽In an uncanny omen of things to come, the cabin boy鈥檚 name was none other than... Richard Parker,鈥� writes Hutchinson.

Another case he examines is that of a woman in Scotland who, after buying a soda and drinking half of it, pours out the rest to discover聽a snail聽at the bottom.聽The woman falls ill and her case is taken up by a lawyer who makes it 鈥渉is life mission to bring this case to the top,鈥� says Hutchinson.

鈥淚t seriously influenced common law. It is probably the most well-known case in Canadian and British law as it gave rise to a whole set of legal doctrines and rules that make up tort law.鈥� That one case has affected the law around medical malpractice, legal liability, whether someone in danger should be rescued and the responsibilities of manufacturers to ensure their products are safe.

The only Canadian聽case in Is Eating People Wrong? 鈥� Roncarelli vs. Duplessis 鈥� involved the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec by then-Premier Maurice Duplessis. Canadian Frank Scott, a poet, McGill University professor and constitutional expert, defended Frank Roncarelli, a Jehovah's Witness, in legal action against Duplessis after he revoked the liquor license for Roncarelli鈥檚 restaurant. It was revoked after Roncarelli had bailed out hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses who had been arrested for selling their magazine. The Supreme Court ruled that Duplessis had overstepped his authority and that no public official was above the law.

These are all cases that tested the legal system and society, and continue to impact聽decisions today. But they started with people who were thrust into circumstances that needed the courts to sort out. They are interesting, quirky and not easily resolved, but they are relied upon as common law.

Hutchinson was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2004, and in 2007 he received a University-Wide Teaching Award and was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. A legal theorist, he is interested in law and politics, legal theory, the legal profession, constitutional law, torts, jurisprudence, civil procedure and racism.

He has published in most of the common law world's leading law journals. Much of his work has been devoted to examining the failure of law to live up to its democratic promise. His most recent books include Evolution and the Common Law (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and The Companies We Keep: Corporate Governance for a Democratic Society (Irwin Law, 2005).

His next book will examine some of the great judges and their influences.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The search committee will be drafting an advertisement to announce the start of the search, which will appear shortly in various publications and websites. In addition, the committee is working on聽a position profile to describe the priorities over the next five years, and what they聽are seeking in candidates in terms of experience, background and qualifications. The committee is soliciting input on聽the following questions in order to help shape the position profile:

• What are your aspirations for the VPRI portfolio over the next five to聽10 years? What do you see as the issues and challenges facing the University during this period?
• What do you think the search committee should be seeking in a leader in terms of professional background and experience, personal attributes, qualifications and credentials?

91亚色 community members can聽send their confidential suggestions to the search committee by e-mail (see below) or directly to the search firm, no later than Wednesday, Nov. 3.

Search committee members:

• 91亚色 President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri,聽committee chair,聽at聽mshoukri@yorku.ca,
• Patrick Monahan, vice-president academic & provost, at聽provost@yorku.ca,
• Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Allan Hutchinson, at hutch@yorku.ca,
• Barbara Crow,聽professor of communication studies,聽Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), at聽bacrow@yorku.ca,
• History Professor Jonathan Edmondson, LA&PS, at聽jedmond@yorku.ca.
• Wendy Taylor,聽professor of physics and astronomy,聽Faculty of Science聽& Engineering, at taylorw@yorku.ca,
• Roger Keil, directory of the City Institute聽and professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, at rkeil@yorku.ca,
• Psychology professor Fran Wilkinson,聽Faculty of Health, at franw@yorku.ca,
• Janusz Kozinski, dean,聽Faculty of Science聽& Engineering, at Janusz.Kozinski@yorku.ca,
• Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues, chief of staff and secretary to the committee, at ijade@yorku.ca.

Or directly to the search firm, e-mail yorkvpri@jwasearch.com.

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The 91亚色 Circle is an ongoing program that offers curious people like Pitt an opportunity to experience university lectures first-hand. It was created for parents and聽family of 91亚色 students,聽alumni, neighbours and friends who want to hear leading 91亚色 faculty explore their ideas and research.

Right: The 91亚色 Circle offers an opportunity for聽non-students聽to hear lectures by 91亚色 faculty

Pitt is among more than聽500 people who have joined the 91亚色 Circle since it began last October and says that she appreciates the opportunity to experience University life聽because she was never able to realize her own dream of attending university. "When I was growing up in Britain, the country was just coming out of the Second World War," she says. "The soldiers lucky enough to survive were offered priority spots in university programs. There were聽very few spots left for everyone else.聽I was not able to attend university and instead studied聽to become a children's nurse. This program offers a great chance for me to experience university."

Coordinated by 91亚色 President Emerita Lorna聽Marsden and Cynthia Bettcher, special adviser to Jennifer Sloan, vice-president of university relations, with help from 91亚色's Alumni Office and print media sponsors and 91亚色 Region Media Group, the 91亚色 Circle embodies the spirit, energy and intellectual excellence of the University鈥檚 50th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2009.

Left: 91亚色 alumnus and 91亚色 Circle member Bart Zemanek聽(BA Spec. Hons. 鈥�07, MSc 鈥�10) with Lorna Marsden

For Marsden, the 91亚色 Circle offers a wonderful opportunity to transport the magic of 91亚色's talented faculty聽into聽the University's聽affiliated communities. 鈥淭he 91亚色 Circle comes from the goal of making our really marvelous faculty members better known through their ideas and work, and聽helps the community聽to better understand the University,鈥� says Marsden. 鈥淭he 91亚色 Circle offers serious talks for lay people who don鈥檛 have the opportunity to attend lectures.鈥�

The circle offers a cross-section of 91亚色鈥檚 leading professors and researchers presenting talks on topics that are current and engaging. Twice a year, the circle鈥檚 membership gathers on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus for a full day of lectures and a complimentary locally sourced (locavore) lunch. The inaugural event took place last fall. On May 1, the 91亚色 Circle returned, bringing more than 150 members back to the Keele campus.

Right: There is no generation gap here. 91亚色 Circle member Irina Shoikhedbrod brought her son, 91亚色 political science master's student Igor Shoikhedbrod,聽to the聽May 1 event

The October聽launch event featured lectures by Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner, astronomy Professor Paul Delaney and theatre Professor Phillip Silver.

The May 1 event repeated the format established by the inaugural event and offered聽lectures by four 91亚色 faculty.聽The morning sessions featured presentations by聽film Professor Seth Feldman, director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, and psychology Professor Debra Pepler, member of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence & Conflict Resolution. Feldman talked聽about his experience working for a year on a documentary about Charles Darwin and about why聽Darwin matters and how the noted scientist means different things to different people. Pepler spoke about how the patterns of power and aggression established in playground bullying move on to become sexual harassment and dating violence in adolescence and workplace harassment in adulthood.

Left: Professor Seth Feldman talks about his聽research and experience making a documentary on Charles Darwin

Following lunch, the 91亚色 Circle members listened to talks by Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Allan Hutchinson and Schulich School of Business Professor Bernard Wolf. Hutchinson delivered an energetic lecture about some of the great cases that shaped the legal world. Wolf talked about the aftermath of the most recent economic crisis, the resulting ballooning national debts and the implications of the economic health of the United States, Greece and Spain on the global community.

Videos of each of the presentations are available on the 91亚色 Circle Web site.

The response to the 91亚色 Circle events have聽been heartwarming,聽says Bettcher. 鈥淪eventy-two per cent of those who attended the May 1 event completed a survey about their 91亚色 Circle experience," she says. "Of those, more than 99 per聽cent聽indicated聽that they were very satisfied with the day. What we found so significant about the responses was that everyone said they would attend another 91亚色 Circle event.

"One of the biggest requests we got following the first 91亚色 Circle event, which took place聽last October,聽was for the recipe for the spicy pumpkin soup that was served at the locavore lunch,鈥澛爈aughs Bettcher. She聽and Marsden immediately got to work聽tracking down the recipe (right) and arranged to have it modified for smaller, family-sized portions. The soup, says Bettcher, was created for the 91亚色 Circle lunch by the chefs working at the Underground restaurant on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus.

What's next on the agenda for this legacy jewel? Bettcher says the next event is聽Raise Your Space IQ, which will take place on Saturday, July 17, from 9 to 11pm. During this event, 91亚色 astronomy Professor Paul Delaney (who delivered a presentation at the inaugural 91亚色 Circle event) will lead participants through a tour of the night sky. The 50 91亚色 Circle members who were first to sign up for the event will have an opportunity to look through the University's telescopes and listen to Delaney and astronomy students talk about the wonders of the universe.

Coming this fall, 91亚色 Circle members聽will be able to to a new series of concerts and events brought to 91亚色聽from venues around the world through a new partnership between the 91亚色 Circle and DigiScreen. In a departure from other 91亚色 Circle events, the Prestigious Performances have been thrown open to聽everyone, including 91亚色聽students and faculty. The Prestigious Performances Series will be brought to the big screen in the Price Family Cinema by DigiScreen through聽the company's聽alliance with Opus Arte and the Royal Opera House of London.

The Prestigious Performance Series will offer world-class concerts, theatre, opera and ballet, presented in high definition format, from venues such as Covent Garden in London, the Palais Garnier in Paris, Teatro Real in Madrid, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London and the Lincoln Center in New 91亚色 City. 91亚色 professors will聽moderate聽each performance.

The series will be presented on Sunday afternoons starting at 2pm, with the first presentation on Sept. 26聽showcasing a performance of As You Like It by William Shakespeare, from the Globe Theatre with an enlivening commentary聽by theatre Professor Mark Wilson, associate dean in 91亚色's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Other performances include a concert featuring the music of the late jazz icon Ray Charles with commentary by 91亚色 music Professor Ronald Westray聽and a presentation of Puccini's opera La Boh猫me. For more on these performances, visit the 91亚色 Circle Web site.

Left: 91亚色 Circle member Elizabeth Pitt

The membership will also be returning to the Keele campus on Oct. 30 for another full-day lecture and lunch presentation. Details of this event will be made available early in June on the 91亚色 Circle Web site.

"I can hardly wait," says an enthused Pitt. "My calendar for the fall is聽looking wonderful."

By Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor and eldest daughter of Elizabeth Pitt.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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