Wanekia (Kia) Dunn

SJD Candidate
Thesis title:
Relationships with Land: Exploring applications of natural agency and rights of nature theory to facilitate innovations in Indigenous land tenure and governance
Office in Falconer Hall
84 Queen's Park
Toronto, M5S 2C5
Email: kia.dunn@mail.utoronto.ca

Wanekia (Kia) Dunn is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Law. His research focus is on Indigenous and Aboriginal law, and intersections therein with constitutional law, property law, and the law of equity.  Kia wrote his LLM thesis “Cutting the Knot: Founding Canada and Restoring the Honour of the Crown” as an analysis of how to overcome the intractable knot that is the sui generis legal status of Indigenous peoples, and which holds Indigenous peoples precariously in a liminal space of legal exceptionalism.

Kia’s upcoming work seeks to explore pathways forward via innovations in land tenure within the space of declared Aboriginal title, as recognized in the Xeni Gwet’in of the Tsilhqot’in. His last few years of professional work have allowed him to learn from and work with several partner First Nations, including the Tsilhqot’in. This provided the understanding that it will be necessary for Canadians to expand the scope of what it can mean in law to have a relationship with lands and territories to enable substantive reconciliation to move forward.

The conceptual frameworks for recognizing lands and territories with a form of legal personhood akin to corporation are on the rise in Canada and internationally; they present distinct potential for manifesting Indigenous worldviews and lawful relations. The issue of standing is resolved when natural agency is understood to contain an inherent guardian and steward relation as between the lands and their First Peoples: a fundamental trust.  He returns to the Faculty of Law to more fully develop these conceptual tools so that they are available to facilitate self-governance.

Education
LLM, University of Toronto; JD, University of Toronto
MA Philosophy, Carleton University
BA (Hons) Philosophy, Carleton University
Awards and Distinctions
June Callwood Programme in Aboriginal Law (2020-2024)
Bennett Scholar (2018)
Other information
  • Panelist for the event “Dialogues on 175 Years of Canadian Democracy” alongside John Ralston Saul and Omayra Issa held in 2023.
  • Presented the “Indigenous Homelands Initiative – Housing and Governance Toolkit” to dozens of Nation, government, and industry leaders at the Yanonhchia Indigenous Housing Finance Network conference in 2022.
  • Facilitated a workshop for the Tsilhqot’in National Government to bring together leaders in housing and development to find consensus on a housing strategy across all six member communities in 2021.
  • Co-organized a conference entitled “Treaties Talk” held at Massey College which brought together expert panelists to discuss cross-border international agreements pertaining to Indigenous rights, specifically the Jay Treaty, in 2020.
  • Sat as chair of the Aboriginal Sovereignty panel held at Massey College as part of the series “Sovereignty in 2017: It’s Meaning for Canada and the World” held in, as you might suspect, 2017.
Research Interests
Aboriginal Law
Indigenous Legal Traditions
International Law
Legal Theory
Property Law
Supervisor
John Borrows
Committee Members

Basema Al-Alami

SJD Candidate
Thesis title:
Inside the Courtroom: Litigating Islam and Muslimness in Canadian Entrapment Trials
Office in Falconer Hall
84 Queen's Park
Toronto, M5S 2C5
Email: basema.al.alami@mail.utoronto.ca

Basema Al-Alami is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Her dissertation critically examines the landmark entrapment trial of R v Nuttall, a singular instance in Canadian law where the defence of entrapment resulted in a stay of proceedings in a terrorism trial. This case serves as a crucial focal point for exploring the nuanced ways in which Islam and Muslimness are litigated within Canadian courtrooms. Through a comprehensive analysis of court archives, including transcripts, tapes, and motions, this study unravels how the Canadian judicial system navigates and constructs Muslimness in the context of terrorism-related trials. The research highlights the courtroom as a critical arena where Muslimness is dissected and interrogated, often leading to the problematic conflation of Islam with criminality. This investigation reveals how such legal proceedings transcend the mere evaluation of the accused’s actions to question broader societal and cultural narratives surrounding Islam and Muslimness, mirroring and perpetuating existing stereotypes.

 

 

Education
Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) Candidate, University of Toronto Faculty of Law (Present)
Master of Laws (LL.M.), University of Toronto Faculty of Law (2022)
Juris Doctor (J.D.), Osgoode Hall Law School (2020)
Honours Bachelor of Arts (HBA), University of Toronto (2017)
Awards and Distinctions
Nathan Strauss Q.C. Graduate Fellowship in International Law (2022-2023)
University Of Toronto Fellowship - Law (2022-2023)
Nathan Strauss Q.C. Graduate Fellowship in International Law (2021-2022)
Benjamin Laufer Prize in International Law (2019-2020)
The Honourable N.W. Rowell Prize (2019-2020)
The Honourable N.W. Rowell Prize (2018-2019)
Dean's Graduation Award, University of Toronto (2017)
Joseph Alfred Whealy In-Course Scholarship (2016-2017)
University Of Toronto Scholar - Beatty (2015-2016)
The Erindale Admission Scholarships (2013-2014)
University Of Toronto Scholar (2013-2014)
Professional Affiliations
Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies, University of Toronto
Canadian Association for Forced Migration and Refugee Studies
Other information

Conferences, Workshops, and Presentations (Selected)

Legal Contradictions: Identifying Iterations of Us versus Them, hosted by the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto (September 2023).

Interrogating Islamophobia in the ‘war on terror’ after two decades, hosted by the 12th National Conference of Critical Perspectives / Criminology & Social Justice in Ottawa (May 2023). 

United Nations Counter Terrorism Committee delegation visit to Canada, hosted by the Committee (February 2023). 

9/11 and the Canadian Settler Colony Conference, hosted by Windsor Law (October 2022). 

University of Toronto - Humboldt University Workshop, hosted by the Institute of Islamic Studies (September 2022).

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Taskforce, hosted by Humber College (July 2022).

 

 

Selected Publications

Basema Al-Alami, "Israel isn’t complying with the International Court of Justice ruling — what happens next?" (6 February 2024), online: The Conversation <https://theconversation.com/israel-isnt-complying-with-the-international....

Basema Al-Alami, "The global call for accountability in Germany, Namibia, and Canada" (25 January 2024), online: The Hill Times <https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2024/01/25/the-global-call-for-accountab....

Basema Al-Alami, "The humanitarian crisis in Gaza: a cry for humanity" (18 October 2023), online: Toronto Star <https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/the-humanitarian-crisis-in-....

Basema Al-Alami. “Canadian law enforcement agencies continue to target Muslims” (12 July 2023), online: The Conversation <https://theconversation.com/canadian-law-enforcement-agencies-continue-t....

Lisa Forman, Basema Al-Alami & Kaitlin Fajber, “An Inquiry into State Agreement and Practice on the International Law Status of the Human Right to Medicines” (2022) 24:2 Health Hum. Rights 125.

Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Titilayo Adebola & Basema Al-Alami, “Viewing the International Labour Organization’s Social Justice Praxis  through a  Third World Approaches to International Law Lens: Some Preliminary Insights”, in George Politakis, et al. eds, ILO 100: Law for Social Justice (Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2019), online: <https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---jur/documents/p....

Nathan Innocente, Basema Al-Alami, Amanda Borthwick, Alfred Pepushaj, & Harmehr Sekhon. 2018. “The Teaching Opportunity Program: Integrating Undergraduate Students in Course Design, Assessment, and Teaching.” Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education annual conference, Sherbrooke, QC, June 19-22.

Research Interests
International Law
Law and Religion
National Security Law and Anti-Terrorism Law
Supervisor
Anver Emon
Committee Members
Kent Roach
Vincent Chiao
External links
LinkedIn
Twitter

U of T Law Dean’s Strategic Fund supports scholars from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Indigenous-led community work

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

When the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and its donors rally together, we can achieve amazing things — like the critical projects supported by the Dean’s Strategic Fund in 2022/2023.

The fund allows the Dean to address the most urgent needs of the law school as well as invest in rapidly emerging opportunities.

International Law Career Panel

Are you curious about career opportunities in international law? The University of Toronto International Law Society (ILS) and the Osgoode International Law Society (OILS) will host a virtual panel discussion on careers in international law on Thursday, March 24, 6:00-7:15 pm EDT. Join us to meet our guests who have fulfilling careers in different areas of international law (see their bios below) and hear about their experiences and advice for law students!

Our speakers include:

Craig Martin, Law Professor at Washburn University

ILS Presents: Summer in International Law

Are you thinking about pursuing opportunities in international law next summer? Interested in applying for the IHRP summer fellowship and wondering where to start? Curious about how it is like to work with international organizations?

Join us for a virtual panel discussion at 12:30 pm on Thursday, November 18, where upper-year students who worked in international law positions for the past summer share their experiences, from researching and applying for a position to highlights of their work.

Steve Lorteau

Steve Lorteau
SJD Candidate
Thesis title:
The Institutional Challenges of Adjudicating Climate Change Zoning
Office in Falconer Hall
84 Queen's Park
Toronto, M5S 2C5
Email: steve.lorteau@mail.utoronto.ca

Steve has a bijural education with degrees in common law and civil law from the University of Ottawa. During his legal studies, Steve participated and later coached in the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition. In 2020, Steve completed a judicial clerkship at the Federal Court under Justice Peter Pamel. Following his clerkship, Steve completed his Master of Laws (LLM) thesis at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dean Jutta Brunnée.

Steve's research interests are in the areas of administrative law, climate law, institutional analysis, and zoning law. His research centres on the role of courts in climate law. His LLM thesis explored the environmental obligations of state-owned fossil fuel companies under international law. His SJD thesis focuses on political economy issues relating to judicial adjudication of environmental zoning. His research on environmental law has been published in the Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law (RECIEL) and the McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law.

Steve also has an interest in the regulatory aspects of wine law, and a particular interest in Canada’s unique approach to wine regulation. In 2016, Steve graduated with a diploma in wine law from the University of Reims, located in the heart of the Champagne. His research on wine law has been published in the Journal of Wine Research, Jus Vini: Journal of Wine & Spirits Law, and a collective monograph on comparative wine law. Since 2022, he has served as the Canadian reporter for Jus Vini annual chronicles.

In his spare time, Steve enjoys reading, playing board games, watching sports, cooking, and discovering new wines.

Education
University of Toronto, LL.M. (Long Thesis), 2021
University of Ottawa, J.D., 2019
University of Ottawa, LL.L. (Civil Law) 2018
University of Ottawa, B.Soc.Sc. (International Development), 2018
University of Ottawa, B.A. (Philosophy), 2015
Awards and Distinctions
SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS-D (2021-2024)
SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS-M (2020-2021)
Robert Law Fellowship in Legal Ethics (2020-2021)
Environmental Law Essay Contest Prize, Center for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability (2019)
Me Anwar Chami Scholarship for excellence in studies in international law (2018)
Second Best Oralist, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2017)
Professional Affiliations
Law Society of Ontario
Earth System Governance Project Research Fellow
Global Perspectives on Corporate Climate Legal Tactics, International Expert Group Canada
Selected Publications

Peer-reviewed articles

· Steve Lorteau, “The Potential of 'State-as-Polluter' Litigation” (2023) 1 Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law.

· Steve Lorteau, “Canada 2022: Place of Origin Descriptors, Amarone, and More Cowbell” (2023) Jus Vini: Journal of Wine & Spirits Law.

· Steve Lorteau, “Canada 2021: Disputed Territories, Comparative Advertising, and Trademarks” (2022) 1 Jus Vini: Journal of Wine & Spirits Law 87-102.

· Steve Lorteau, “Contractual Carbon Fees: A Proposal” (2020) 15:2 McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law 176-201.

· Steve Lorteau, “A Purposive Approach to Wine Regulation: Royal Demaria v Lieutenant Governor in Council” (2019) 2 Jus Vini: Journal of Wine & Spirits Law 231-240.

· Steve Lorteau, “La philosophie du droit systématique de l’encyclopédiste Antoine- Gaspard Boucher d’Argis [The Systematic Jurisprudence of l’Encyclopédiste Antoine-Gaspard Boucher d’Argis]” (2019) 54 Recherches sur Diderot et sur l’Encyclopédie 147-164.

· Steve Lorteau, “A Comparative Analysis of Skin-Contact Wine Definitions in Ontario and South Africa” (2018) 29:4 Journal of Wine Research 265-277.

· Steve Lorteau, “China’s South China Sea Claims as Unprecedented – Skeptical Remarks” (2018) 55 Canadian Yearbook of International Law 1-41.

Book Chapters

· Steve Lorteau & Rakhyun E Kim, “Transnational Litigation Norms” in Daniel J. Fiorino, Todd A. Eisenstadt, & Manjyot Kaur Ahluwalia, eds, Elgar Encyclopedia of Climate Policy (Cheltenham: Elgar Publishing, 2024), pp 209–212.

· Steve Lorteau, “Regulatory Controls in the Canadian Wine Sector” in Theodore Georgopoulos, ed, Administrative controls in the wine sector (Paris: Mare & Martin, 2021), pp 341-367.

Opinion Pieces

· Steve Lorteau, "Fossil fuel subsidies cost Canadians a lot more money than the carbon tax" The Conversation Canada, 1 April 2024. https://theconversation.com/fossil-fuel-subsidies-cost-canadians-a-lot-m...

· Steve Lorteau & Andrew Green,"How Canadian courts are taking on climate change" The Conversation Canada, 4 January 2024. https://theconversation.com/how-canadian-courts-are-taking-on-climate-ch...

· Steve Lorteau, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Jean-François Bureau & Nicole Racine, "Educate and Empower: The 3 Es to discuss climate change with children" The Conversation Canada, 9 July 2023. https://theconversation.com/engage-educate-and-empower-the-3-es-to-discu...

· Steve Lorteau, “For Fossil-Fuel Reliant Governments, Climate Action Should Start At Home" The Conversation Canada, 19 April 2023. https://theconversation.com/for-fossil-fuel-reliant-governments-climate-...

Curriculum Vitae
Research Interests
Administrative Law
Economic Analysis of Law
Environmental Law
Family Law
Feminist Analysis of Law
Intellectual Property Law
International Law
Legal Theory
Property Law
Supervisor
Andrew Green
Committee Members
Larissa Katz
Kate J. Neville, Department of Political Science
External links
Twitter
SSRN
Earth System Governance Project

Asper Centre and IHRP Information Session

Dear JD Students,

Please attend this information session to learn about the volunteer opportunities available this year at the Asper Centre and the IHRP.

Refer to the updated Public Interest Programs Joint Volunteer Recruitment Process guidelines for more details about how to get involved with our programs.

We look forward to meeting and working with you! 

David Bullock

David Bullock
SJD Candidate
Thesis title:
Tort law as a response to collective action problems
Office in Falconer Hall
84 Queen's Park
Toronto, M5S 2C5
Email: david.bullock@mail.utoronto.ca

David is a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) candidate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and a Vanier Scholar.  His research interests include the intersection of public and private law (in particular property and tort) as they relate to the environment, international law, and constitutional law.

David is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington and Yale Law School. He began his career as  judicial clerk to the former Chief Justice of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias GNZM, before commencing professional practice at a specialist litigation firm in Auckland, New Zealand.  As a lawyer, David has acted for a range of environmental NGOs and has appeared at all levels of New Zealand courts, including in leading cases on climate change, the exportation of indigenous timber, seabed mining, off-shore oil exploration, election advertising, and police interrogation.  David has also regularly acted in sports disputes, regulatory proceedings, and complex commercial litigation.

Education
LLM, Yale Law School (2017)
LLB(Hons), Victoria University of Wellington (2011)
BCA (Economics), Victoria University of Wellington (2011)
Awards and Distinctions
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2021)
Connaught International Scholarship (2020)
Fulbright General Graduate Scholarship (2016)
William Georgetti Scholarship (2016)
Victoria University Medal of Academic Excellence (2011)
Chapman Tripp Prize (2011)
Dean’s List for Academic Excellence (2011)
Chris Highfield Memorial Prize (2011)
Quentin-Baxter Prize in International Law (2011)
IPANZ Prize in Public Administration (2011)
Robert Orr McGechan Prize (2010)
Archibald Francis McCallum Scholarship (2010)
Val Gormley Memorial Prize (2010)
Lord Cooke of Thorndon Prize (2009)
A H Johnstone Scholarship in Law (2009)
New Zealand Recent Law Review Prize (2009)
Alumni Association Prize (2008)
Mario Patrono Prize (2007)
Faculty of Law Prize (2007)
Professional Affiliations
Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
Selected Publications

"Public Nuisance and Climate Change: The Common Law's Solutions to the Plaintiff, Defendant and Causation Problems" (2022) Modern Law Review [forthcoming, available at https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12732]

The Law of Costs in New Zealand (LexisNexis, Wellington, 2022) (with Tim Mullins)

"New Zealand" (2020) 31 Yearbook of International Environmental Law 261

“Three Strikes and the Interpretative Obligation: Parliamentary Intention and the Ascription of Meaning under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act” (2020) 29 New Zealand Universities Law Review 225

“Combating Climate Recalcitrance: Carbon-related Border Tax Adjustments in a New Era of Global Climate Governance” (2018) 27 Washington International Law Journal 609

“Political Costs and the Challenge of Tradable Environmental Markets” (2017) 29 Georgetown Environmental Law Review 609

"A Defence of Statutory Property” (2017) 48 Victoria University of Wellington Law Review 529

“The Wane of s 5 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990” [2017] New Zealand Law Journal 164

“Costs of Costs Applications” [2014] New Zealand Law Journal 348 (with Julian Long)

“Emissions Trading in New Zealand: Development, Challenges and Design” (2012) 21 Environmental Politics 657

“Multi-party Governance: Managing the Unity-Distinctiveness Dilemma in Executive Coalitions” (2012) 18 Party Politics 349 (with Jonathan Boston)

"Electoral Expression with Institutional Bounds: Reframing the Judicial Treatment of Elections in New Zealand" (2011) 42 Victoria University of Wellington Law Review 459

“Home Detention as a Stand-alone Sentence” (2011) 2 New Zealand Law Students’ Journal 603

"Experiments in Executive Government under MMP in New Zealand: Contrasting Approaches to Multi-party Governance” (2009) 7 New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law 39 (with Jonathan Boston)

Research Interests
Environmental Law
International Law
Legal Process
Political Philosophy and Theory
Property Law
Tort Law and Tort Theory
Supervisor
Jutta Brunnée
Arthur Ripstein
Committee Members
Andrew Green
External links
Google Scholar
SSRN

Shifting borders: Invisible, but very real: Professor Ayelet Shachar's essay published in the UNESCO Courier

Thursday, July 23, 2020

First published in 1948, the UNESCO Courier is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization magazine. It has the largest and widest-ranging readership of all the journals published by the United Nations and its specialized institutions. 

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