Sukanya Pillay and Patrícia Galvão Ferreira are this year's Law Foundation of Ontario Scholars at the University of Windsor's faculty of law.
Sukanya Pillay, international human rights lawyer
Pillay, who is both a Windsor grad and a former faculty member, will teach in the areas of national security and civil liberties. She is an international human rights lawyer with expertise in Canadian constitutional law, civil liberties, trade and development. Pillay has served as the general counsel and executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. During her career, she has appeared before international adjudicative bodies, treaty bodies and the Supreme Court of Canada.
While at Windsor, Pillay will continue her ongoing research into human rights law (including the absolute prohibition against torture), democratic governance and accountability, the rights of vulnerable populations internationally including the rights to due process, and to economic and social rights. She is also considering creating a human rights research hub at Windsor.
“I am so happy to be back at Windsor Law, my alma mater and the original social justice law school in Canada,” Pillay said. “I am excited to work with the dynamic faculty and students here, and to help promote a centre of excellence in civil liberties and human rights.”
Galvão Ferreira, a specialist in transnational environmental law, international law, climate change law, natural resources governance and human rights law and development, will teach environmental law and international law in addition to supervising students in the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic, which is a joint program between Windsor and Wayne State University.
She most recently completed a post-doctoratal fellowship at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), and has degrees from the Munk School of Global Affairs, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Bahia in Brazil.
Currently, Galvão Ferreira is researching how evolving international law principles and transnational regulatory initiatives contribute to state compliance with multilateral environmental agreements, particularly the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is also researching the role of emerging economies and high-income developing countries in reshaping global environmental governance, with particular attention to the impact in transnational climate justice.
“I am thrilled to begin my term as a Law Foundation of Ontario Scholar this year,” Galvão Ferreira said. “This position will allow me to strengthen my research agenda on transnational environmental law, as Windsor Law is recognized as a centre of excellence in transnational legal studies. I am also excited by the opportunity to teach and to mentor students interested in the theory and practice of environmental law.”
The Law Foundation of Ontario provides funding for the Law Foundation of Ontario Scholars program.
