“‘I look forward to developing my thinking on rights and practical reasoning,and to begin a new project on the philosophical foundations of political constitutionalism,” says post-doctoral scholar Geoff Sigalet.
“‘I look forward to developing my thinking on rights and practical reasoning,and to begin a new project on the philosophical foundations of political constitutionalism,” says post-doctoral scholar Geoff Sigalet.

Adding strength to strength, Queen’s Law will see the addition of a leading thinker in political and legal thought this summer. Through the Queen’s Research Opportunities Funds, the Faculty of Law will be welcoming Geoff Sigalet as a post-doctoral fellow to work with Professor Grégoire Webber, MSM, the Canada Research Chair in Public Law and Philosophy of Law.

The appointment is the extension of collaborative work between Sigalet and Webber. “In 2016, Geoff and I organized a conference on constitutional dialogue at Princeton,” Webber says. “We are finalizing our jointly edited manuscript coming out of that conference, which will be published by Cambridge University Press under the title Constitutional Dialogue: Rights, Democracy, Institutions.”

Geoff will be joining Queen’s Law after completing his doctorate in political theory under the direction of Professor Phillip Pettit at Princeton University. In the 2017-18 academic year, he held an appointment as Lecturer and Fellow in the Constitutional Law Center of Stanford Law School. He holds a BA (Hon) from the University of Alberta and an MA from McGill University.

“Geoff’s doctoral research in public law and political theory has already made an important contribution to constitutional thought,” Webber says. “I look forward to the year ahead and to Geoff’s many contributions to the life of the Faculty and Queen’s.”

The appointment promises to be a productive one for both scholars, and promising for the advancement of political and legal thought at Queen’s. “At Queen’s, I look forward to developing my thinking on rights and practical reasoning, and to begin a new project on the philosophical foundations of political constitutionalism,” Sigalet says. He speaks highly of the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy, first convened by Webber and co-creator Jean Thomas in 2015. “In three short years, Professors Thomas and Webber have established the Queen’s Colloquium as a primary site for legal and political philosophy.”

“Queen’s Law is a preeminent centre for legal scholarship and research excellence,” says Dean Bill Flanagan. “Geoff Sigalet is an ideal candidate for appointment as a post-doctoral fellow. His work on judicial review and constitutional interpretation align with an area of outstanding research strength in the Faculty.”  

“As Queen’s University continues to build on its role as an international leader in political and legal thought, it is a pleasure to welcome a promising scholar like Geoff.”