Jennifer Quaid

Jennifer Quaid is an Associate Professor and Vice-Dean Research in the Civil Law Section. She is a leading legal expert and scholar in the fields of Organizational Criminal Liability, Corporate Accountability, and Business Ethics. Her scholarship, policy work and extensive public engagement focuses on when and how can law be used to stimulate good governance and ethical business practices, particularly in the prevention of serious harm flowing from the materialization of foreseeable operational risks, like corruption, fraud and failure to take appropriate measures to protect public safety and the environment. Her interdisciplinary research, which combines criminal law and organization studies, centres on the unique enabling role that business organizations play in creating the conditions for serious blameworthy conduct to occur. Prof. Quaid’s most recent work is focused on rehabilitation of organizational offenders through culture change and meaningful consultation of stakeholders. She is also interested in issues related to anti-corruption enforcement, in particular the enactment of Canada’s new remediation agreement regime (more commonly known as DPAs) and is leading a 4-year funded comparative study of the use of non-trial resolution mechanisms in corruption matters that brings together researchers in Canada, France and Switzerland. Prof. Quaid’s other research interests lie in Criminal Law & Sentencing, Sexual Assault Law, Competition Law, Anti-Corruption Law, Corporate Law and Corporate Governance.

A member of the Bars of Québec, Ontario and New York, Prof. Quaid practised law for several years, first with the federal Department of Justice and then in private practice for a leading New York firm before joining the academy. She clerked for the Honourable Frank Iacobucci of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Prof. Quaid is a member of Transparency International Canada and sits on its legal committee. She was a member of the Board of Governors of the University from 2018-2021.