Queen’s Law has an international reputation for research and teaching excellence in legal and political thought.
More than a quarter of Queen’s Law’s full-time members conduct research primarily or exclusively in the area, including Benjamin Ewing, Michael Pratt, Darryl Robinson, Jean Thomas, Mark Walters, and Jacob Weinrib. Grégoire Webber's Canada Research Chair, held from 2014-2024, was designated in Public Law and the Philosophy of Law and Ashwini Vasanthakumar's Queen’s National Scholar appointment is designated in Legal and Political Philosophy.
In addition, Queen’s Law has made a number of fractional appointments of high strategic value. Will Kymlicka, the Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy, is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law. In addition, Professor Leslie Green, the former Oxford Professor of the Philosophy of Law, was until his retirement Queen’s Professor of Law and Distinguished University Fellow.
Between them, Queen’s Law members work in general jurisprudence, constitutional theory, rights theory, private law theory, and international legal theory. They serve on the editorial or advisory boards of the highest-impact legal philosophy journals, including Jurisprudence, the American Journal of Jurisprudence, and the Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence.
The political and legal thought group at Queen’s Law maintains extensive links with the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Political Studies, as exemplified by the Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy and the Graduate Program in Political and Legal Thought.
The Colloquium in Legal and Political Philosophy is a seminar series that brings distinguished visitors to Queen’s and a for-credit course. Students registered in the Colloquium come from Law, Political Studies, and Philosophy and meet with the Colloquium conveners to discuss each paper that will be presented by a leading legal or political philosophy, and then meet with the author, faculty members, and invited guests for a workshop about the paper. The Colloquium promotes close collaboration between legal, philosophical, and political studies by bringing together students and faculty from these overlapping disciplines to engage in rigorous intellectual debate. The Colloquium conveners are Professors Webber and Thomas, both of Queen’s Law with cross-appointments with the Department of Philosophy.
The Graduate Program in Political and Legal Thought is a collaborative degree that allows students to specialize in social, political, and legal theory. Students complete an M.A. in the Departments of Philosophy or Political Studies, or an L.L.M. in the Faculty of Law, by choosing from a broad range of designated courses across all three disciplines. The only course of study of its kind in Canada, the Program in Political and Legal Thought provides an exciting opportunity for interdisciplinary engagement with leading scholars in a lively intellectual community.
