Visual Posts

Human Rights

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05-20-26 | Human Rights, Immigration and Refugee Law, International

uOttawa Research Chair on Migrant Protection and International Law

Canada maintains a strong humanitarian reputation internationally even though its migration policies have tightened considerably over the past two decades. The University of Ottawa Research Chair on Migrant Protection and International Law, led by Professor Delphine Nakache, examines that paradox. Through an interdisciplinary and bilingual approach, the Chair analyzes Canada’s actions toward temporary workers, international students, asylum seekers, and non-status migrants, with the goal of developing concrete legal and policy frameworks.

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Jeannette Lavell Corbiere et Dawn Lavell-Harvard
12-19-25 | Human Rights, Indigenous Law

Keys to the Court : Jeannette Corbiere Lavell

In 1970, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, a young Anishinaabe woman, lost her legal status under the Indian Act simply because she married a non-Indigenous man. She was stripped of her membership in the Wiikwemkoong community and barred from living on the reserve. This provision did not apply to Indigenous men who married non-Indigenous women. Dismayed by this blatant injustice, she took her case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

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09-25-25 | Droit de l'enfant, Family Law, Human Rights

Reforming Quebec’s Surrogacy Laws

Coming into force in June 2023, Bill 12 significantly reformed the legal framework surrounding surrogacy in Quebec. According to the Minister of Justice, the law aims to better reflect the realities faced by Quebec families, prioritize the best interests of children born through surrogacy, and protect the rights of surrogates. In this visual post, Professor Stefanie Carsley revisits the reform, pointing out that some measures may actually run counter to the legislator’s intended goals. Her analysis is drawn from her article Reforming Quebec’s Surrogacy Laws, published in the Revue générale de droit.

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05-23-25 | Criminal Law, Human Rights, Student Projects

Beyond the bars: when the record closes doors

This visual advocacy video explores the often-overlooked reality of reintegration after incarceration. Through the powerful testimony of former inmate Daniel Benson and insights from lawyer Mike Allan Dyer, law students from the University of Ottawa examine what it truly means to “serve a sentence” and the challenges of rebuilding a life after years behind bars. Moving beyond the stereotypes portrayed in courtroom dramas, the project sheds light on the blind spots in our justice system and raises a crucial question: is justice, as experienced in everyday life, truly just?

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