Legal scholarship at Queen’s Law is taking another step forward this fall as the Faculty becomes the publisher of the Philippe Kirsch Institute’s (PKI’s) Global Justice Journal. 

“I am delighted to have the support of Queen’s Law in bringing this Journal to Queen’s,” says Professor Sharry Aiken, who is the co-editor-in-chief of the PKI Global Justice Journal. “My hope is that the PKI Global Justice Journal will be a leading venue for commentary and insights by researchers and practitioners engaged in the field of international justice – here at Queen’s and beyond. The Journal aligns well with the work of the SSHRC-funded Canadian Partnership for International Justice, of which Professor Darryl Robinson and I are co-researchers.” 

The Journal was established to support the work of the Canadian Centre for International Justice (CCIJ), which aimed at providing help to victims of serious human rights violations. Aiken was co-chair of the CCIJ board when the Centre was seeking a new home for the Journal and she jumped at the opportunity to bring it to Queen’s Law. 

A hybrid academic journal and blog, the Journal is designed to educate academics, students, and practitioners on developments in international human rights law, humanitarian law, international criminal law, transnational and transitional justice. The Journal provides in-depth analyses, reviews of novel scholarly pieces, and interviews with experts. It responds to current issues such as outbreaks of international violence and decisions of the International Criminal Court.

Recent articles published by the PKI Global Justice Journal include an interview with Professor Noah Weisbord about his most recent book about the crime of aggression, two recent updates on the human rights crisis in Cameroon, and critical look at the concept of genocide. 

Aiken notes that the Journal is ideally suited as a home for commentaries prepared by students – both JD and graduate – who have researched a topic and want to share their findings with a broader audience. 

Contributions, which may be made in English or French, are reviewed by an editorial board comprising 11 legal professionals and scholars from across Canada, including Professor Aiken, Professor Robinson, Queen’s Law Adjunct Professor Pearl Eliadis, and Aiken’s co-editor-in-chief, James Hendry.

“The Journal was established to support CCIJ’s primary purpose of assisting people seeking justice for serious human rights violations,” says Hendry. “With the newfound support from Queen’s, we look forward to continuing to raise awareness on these issues, publishing regularly, continuing to build connections with other publications, and increasing the number of people discussing and debating the important issues we write about.”

The Journal’s new website, globaljustice.queenslaw.ca, features the Journal’s complete catalogue of articles dating back to 2017. 

Check out the latest from the PKI Global Justice Journal on its Facebook page and follow the Journal on Twitter. 

By Phil Gaudreau