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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During a recent conversation with聽91亚色 President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley (Hon. LLD聽'09),聽expressed an interest in聽the research initiative. In response, Shoukri invited Onley to聽tour the facility and speak with researchers.聽On July 15,聽the lieutenant governor paid an informal visit to the University to hear first-hand from MEHRI researchers and therapists about their research into early childhood development.

Above: From left, MEHRI neuroscientist Jim Stieben; President & Vice-Chancellor聽Mamdouh Shoukri; 91亚色 Distinguished Research Professor Stuart Shanker, director of MEHRI; Rhonda Lenton, associate vice-president academic; Devin Casenhiser, MEHRI head of research; David Onley, the lieutenant governor of Ontario; MEHRI therapist Christine Robinson; Professor Lesley Beagrie, associate dean of professional & global programs in the Faculty of Health; Amanda Binns, MEHRI speech language pathologist; Alicia Allison, MEHRI community liason officer;聽Fay McGill,聽MEHRI speech language pathologist and floor-time therapist; Ana Bojcun, MEHRI budget & administrative officer; and Eunice Lee, MEHRI social worker

During聽his visit,聽Onley listened to remarks from聽the University's president and Stuart Shanker, 91亚色 Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology & Philosophy and the director of MEHRI. He then heard from MEHRI therapists and researchers about their work before taking a tour of the research facility.

Also present at the event were Rhonda Lenton, associate vice-president academic, and Professor Leslie Beagrie, associate dean of professional & global programs in the Faculty of Health.

鈥淚 believe that 91亚色 performs a very important and critical function in supporting postsecondary education, not only through the training of students but also through research," said Shoukri in his opening remarks.

"This particular initiative is very close to my heart. The Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative is led by its director, 91亚色 Distinguished Research Professor Stuart Shanker. One of the exciting aspects of this initiative is its focus on child development,"聽Shoukri said. "From all that I have seen so far, there is clear evidence that this initiative is on its way to having a significant national and international impact."

Following the president's comments, Shanker offered a brief history of MEHRI, including the role of the late Canadian philanthropist Milton Harris, whose support made the research initiative possible, (see YFile, June 23, 2005).

Right: Stuart Shanker

"We were very interested in a program called the Developmental Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based Model (DIR)聽for聽very specific reasons," said Shanker. "It focuses on the child鈥檚 core capacities. So that rather than trying to treat a symptom, you are trying to develop those underlying capacities that are constricted."

Conceived聽by the late Dr. Stanley Greenspan (Hon. LLD聽'06), a聽clinical professor of psychiatry, behavioural science and pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School and a practising child psychiatrist, DIR聽is a social interaction-based聽approach for treating children with autistic spectrum disorders. DIR聽engages children through play to expand their world and help develop their ideas and relationships and is at the heart of the extended聽study now underway at MEHRI.聽Shanker said the research will have an impact on the treatment of all children聽experiencing challenges and聽will聽play a聽role聽in enhancing聽the capacities of children developing typically.

"Suppose I had a child who was experiencing difficulty in learning how to read. Rather than doing intensive exercises to get the child to read, we would look at what are the underlying causes. Is there a problem with visual perception or motor control?" he said. "In addition to doing reading exercises, with DIR we would work very hard on strengthening the weakened capacities that are causing the deficits and rather than just treating the symptoms."

DIR is wedded to science, said Shanker, and at MEHRI, scientists and therapists are partners in the research underway into children's core capacities. "I saw this as a model for the 21st century, a framework for really enhancing early childhood development, because we would continually be revising and developing what we are doing," said Shanker.

"DIR also operates through the parent. The parent becomes the primary agent in the child鈥檚 development. What we have been seeing is that there聽has been a remarkable effect on family dyanmics. Families are being empowered by DIR," he said. "This is a program about understanding, for any child, why they may be having certain problems and聽what are the causes and then helping that child to develop a better ability to stay calm and focused.

"Milt Harris was very insistent that he wanted this initiative to inform public policy, so MEHRI has also been working very hard with the聽premier鈥檚 special adviser on early learning []," said Shanker. "MEHRI聽has played a聽role in seeing these ideas embedded in the core of the early learning program that is being rolled out in Ontario."

Lenton echoed Shanker's comments and reiterated that she was very pleased to see that the work underway at MEHRI, in addition to helping children with autism,聽would have benefits related to a general approach to early childhood development.

Onley聽then heard from MEHRI therapists聽Christine Robinson, Amanda Binns, Sonia Khan and Eunice Lee. The group spoke about their work with children with autism and showed聽before-and-after video clips that displayed the accomplishments experienced by聽a聽child after just a few weeks聽in floor-time therapy.

MEHRI researchers and offered a summary of their latest research to Onley. Their work examines the behavioural and neurological effects of a DIR-based treatment on young children with autism spectrum disorders.聽The two researchers previewed聽the results of their聽research to the lieutenant governor.聽The MEHRI researchers explained how they hope the results of their work will expand聽the range of options available in the treatment of all children through the use of DIR.

"This is remarkable," said Onley. "Thank you all very much, your research聽is most fascinating. The reality of autism is significant. I聽hear regularly from聽parents who express their deep concerns about autism. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to keeping in touch and following your research."

At the conclusion of the presentations, the lieutenant governor and聽Shoukri聽toured the MEHRI facility.

More about David Onley, the lieutenant governor of Ontario

In 2007, Onley was the first person with a physical disability 鈥� he had polio at the age of three聽鈥� to become a lieutenant governor. Before stepping into the role, he had a 22-year career as a broadcaster for Citytv and was the first senior newscaster with a visible disability.

For many years,聽he has聽championed disability issues聽as chair of the Government of Ontario鈥檚 Accessibility Standards Advisory Council and as an accessibility council member for the Rogers Centre and the Air Canada Centre. Onley has used his influence to highlight聽and help remove barriers to employment and housing for Ontario's 1.5 million people with disabilities.

On Friday, June 26, 2009, 91亚色 honoured Onley with an honorary degree in recognition of his work in advancing disability rights in Canada.

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

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As it was with Britain鈥檚 Bloody Sunday report and apology on Tuesday, or the residential schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada event launched Wednesday, or the inquiry report into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski to be released Friday, this is a moment when the public will be forced to come to terms with its past.

, a philosophy professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, says these concluding chapters share an important undercurrent: a recognition that the past must be dealt with. There鈥檚 no statute of limitations on moral responsibility, and the traditional mechanisms of justice aren鈥檛 able to deal with these ruptures satisfactorily.

鈥淭he wrongs of the past, whether it鈥檚 Air India or Bloody Sunday or the residential schools, can鈥檛 always be measured out materially or legally鈥�. Part of dealing with the past means negotiating our moral and political relationships with each other, so we find ourselves taking up a language like apologize, forgive, reconcile, come together,鈥� MacLachlan said.

There has been an accelerating trend around the world in the last three decades in which dozens, if not hundreds, of official apologies have been issued by various heads of government or churches, MacLachlan said. 鈥淎n apology is still about maintaining control of a story,鈥� she said. It offers a sense of closure or finality, at least in theory. The response to apologies among victims is usually mixed, she said, but it鈥檚 often much more positive with the public.

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

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