CHLPE's Professor Jennifer Chandler has been named the winner of the 2024 Steven E. Hyman Award. Awarded by the International Neuroethics Society (INS), this international accolade is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the field of neuroethics, and stands as a testament to Professor Chandler’s significant impact and leadership in the global neuroethics community.

The open access publication flowing from CHLPE's 2022 conference Borders, Boundaries, Pandemics is out! The book examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has engendered a new and challenging environment in which borders drawn around people, places, and social structures have hardened and new ones have emerged. It considers how international organizations, countries, and institutions within those countries should conceive of, and manage, borders as the world continues to struggle with COVID-19 and prepares for the next pandemic. Engaging a range of international, and sub-national, examples, the book thematizes the main issues at stake in the control and management of borders in the interests of public health. Open access and Hardcover versions are available.

Margaret MacAulay, Patrick Fafard, Adèle Cassola and Michèle Palkovits have won this year's Ken Young Prize for best overall article in the prestigious Policy & Politics. In Analysing the ‘follow the science’ rhetoric of government responses to COVID-19 (open access), the authors contend that during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments’ repeated claims to “just following the science” were in fact an abdication of responsibility by politicians. They argue that making policy decisions based only on scientific evidence is impossible (if only because ‘the science’ is always contested) and undemocratic (because governments are elected to balance a range of priorities and interests in their decisions). They evidence that such claims of following the science weren’t so much about adhering strictly to scientific advice as they were about deflecting blame for policy failures or unpalatable decisions. They conclude that, in mature democratic countries, credit and blame for government decisions are borne by elected politicians, not those appointed to advise them. Crucially, their research raises important questions about the nexus of science and politics and how the latter can manipulate the former for political gains.

After being denied health care because of her irregular immigration status, Nell Toussaint suffered severe health consequences including a stroke, an amputation and blindness. She fought courageously for equal access to health care, securing an historic ruling at the UN requiring Canada to ensure access to essential health care without discrimination. When Canada refused to comply, she challenged this in court, winning another important victory when the court rejected Canada’s attempt to have her claim dismissed. Sadly, Nell Toussaint died on January 9, 2023 with her legal claim unresolved and Canada continuing to refuse to comply with the UN ruling. Human rights and health care advocates along with her family are committed to honouring Nell’s legacy by continuing her campaign for access to health care for all, regardless of immigration status, as a fundamental human right.

On the anniversary of Nell's passing, CHLPE hosted a seminar-webinar featuring Professor Y.Y. Chen, Shalini Konanur, Aditya Rao, and Whendeann Gittens.

Video >

See all of our recent event videos on our YouTube channel.

We are excited to announce that as of January 1st, Professor Vanessa Gruben of the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section is the next Director of CHLPE. Vanessa has been a core member of the Centre since its inception in 2015, throughout that time sitting on its Executive Committee and leading its theme on Reproductive Health and Technologies as well as the Ottawa Hub for Harm Reduction. Her scholarship probes some of the most difficult contemporary legal and ethical issues related to health care, including assisted reproduction, harm reduction, organ donation and transplantation, and health care professional self-regulation. She is the co-editor of the 5th edition of Canada’s leading health law text, Canadian Health Law and Policy (LexisNexis, 2017). She also serves on the boards of the Canadian Health Coalition and of AMS Healthcare.

Vanessa takes the reins from the Centre's inaugural Director, Colleen Flood. As you may know, Colleen began the next chapter in her career as Dean of Law at Queen's University this past July. Under Colleen’s visionary and energetic leadership, the Centre has grown since 2015 to become the largest academic health law and policy centre in Canada and one of the largest in the world. She built it into a thriving community with collaborative bridges throughout the Law Faculty and the broader university.

During this time of transition, the Centre was in the able hands of Sophie Nunnelley. Sophie's research focuses on intersections of health law and human rights, with a particular focus on mental health law, legal capacity and decision-making, and the regulation of health-related AI. Prior to completing her doctoral studies at the University of Toronto and joining the Centre, Sophie was a constitutional and human rights lawyer with the Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario, and counsel on a major national public inquiry (the Gomery Inquiry). Sophie remains an indispensable member of the core team, returning to her regular role as Associate Director.

Since 2020, the Centre’s newest member Roojin Habibi has been leading a partnership between International Commission of Jurists and the Global Health Law Consortium to develop a set of human rights principles and guidelines adapted to the context of public health emergencies. The resulting Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Public Health Emergencies were launched in pre-print form this past May, on the margins of the World Health Assembly. They have been endorsed by over 50 renowned scholars, practitioners and former/current SP mandate holders. Since their release, the Centre has co-sponsored a digital symposium on the Principles, hosted on the Harvard Petrie-Flom Center’s Bill of Health blog.