Diana Young, Associate Professor of Law and Legal Studies, was a beloved colleague, teacher, scholar, and friend. On Tuesday 18 November, she passed peacefully with the support of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) after living for two years with Stage 4 cancer. She was surrounded by friends and family at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Joining the Department in 2002, Diana worked in the fields of criminal law, law and film, and law and literature. A regular attendee at the Critical Perspectives in Criminology, and the international Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities, Diana presented on American Western films, Foucault, parenting, assisted suicide, and more. Many of us were lucky to share vibrant post-conference dinners and karaoke with her in Washington, Winnipeg, New Haven, Vancouver, and Ottawa, to name but a few. At ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ she supervised a wide range of graduate student topics from wrongful convictions to feminist legal theory. Students remember her as a patient, thorough, helpful, and highly reliable mentor. Co-supervisors and colleagues remember her as unendingly generous with her time and energy and as a model of intellectual rigour and an ethics of care. In her final days, Diana emphasized how fulfilling she found teaching and graduate supervision.

Modest but not shy, and utterly lacking in ego, Diana reserved her insights for the right moment, choosing to speak if needed, but not unnecessarily. She valued good conversation, good films, good cheese – especially a taste of Délice de Bourgogne – and good scotch, particularly when shared with others. She was dreadfully open-minded, seeing many sides to any issue, which resulted in her having a wide array of multi-disciplinary friends and colleagues representing varying ideological constituencies – a rare quality for anyone, but especially an academic.

She was also a beloved citizen of the Centertown/Chinatown community. It was easy to run into Diana on Somerset or Gladstone, doing neighbourhood shopping or out for a bike ride. Although she loved her hometown of Toronto, Ottawa’s Bell Street also took good care of her, as well as her several guitars and painting studio, for many years. And she took good care of Bell Street; Diana was a calm but steady defender of her neighbours. She opposed the incursions of gentrification and criminalization of those living around her.

Diana once floated the idea of a new academic publication called “The Devil May Care Law Journal”. It would be reserved for content of any kind, drawing on multiple fields of inquiry and rebuffing the pretentious professionalism that stifles so many other law journals. In a way, the characteristics of this would-be journal highlight the same wonderful qualities of Diana Young: interesting and interested, committed but non-dogmatic, thorough, creative, and shockingly well-adjusted.

Diana, you were loved. You will be missed.

Those who wish to share any memories or condolences can do so below.

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The Department of Law and Legal Studies is saddened to share the news of the passing of Alan Hunt, former Chancellor’s Professor in Sociology and Law. Hunt passed away on December 8, 2021 with his partner, Rosalind Allchin by his side. Hunt came to ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ as a visitor in the departments of Law and Sociology and Anthropology in 1988 and was appointed Full Professor in 1989. Already an internationally renowned intellectual on his arrival at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´, at age 47, he held an LLB and a Ph.D. from Leeds University and was then Reader in Law at Middlesex University, where he had also been Head of School and Assistant Dean.  Alan certainly always left an impression, and he will be remembered as we believed he would have wished, as a keen intellectual who was mulling new ideas until the very end.

More information on Alan Hunt can be found here.

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UPDATE

A special memorial will be held in honour of Naser. Please see below for details: Date: Friday, March 24th, 2017

Time: 6:30pm

Location: room 2203 Dunton Tower, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University Light refreshments will be served.  For more information contact or (613) 520-2600, ext. 2359.

The Department of Law and Legal Studies is saddened to hear of the passing of one of its second-year students. Naser Al-Raas, who was working towards a B.A. Combined Honours: Major in Human Rights and Law degree, passed away on September 20, 2016. We send our thoughts and condolences to his family, friends, and to all those whose lives he has touched.

Several faculty members have offered their reflections on his presence and efforts. “Naser is unforgettable,” says Prof. Stacy Douglas. “Always a bright spark of thoughtfulness, intelligence, dedication, and positivity, his professional work fighting for human rights and his charming personality will leave a lasting impression on many people around the world, as well as on the ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ campus, including me.”

Prof. Melanie Adrian expressed that she was “saddened to hear that the world has lost Naser Al-Raas, one the strongest advocates for human rights. Naser started off as my student and turned into my teacher. His courage and optimism could not be matched. Naser returned to the classroom as a Justice Maker – accomplished people who are making positive change in the world – this last summer.”

The class taught by Prof. Adrian, LAWS 2105 (Social Justice and Human Rights), held its second Justice Makers Film Festival in June, screening the short documentary projects created by students in the class. One project in particular spotlighted Naser (embedded below). As Prof. Adrian notes,  “This is the story the students created to honor him and his work.”

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Jim MacKenzie, a longtime member of the Department and one of its earliest members, passed away on Friday, February 5^th.  He first joined the Department in 1971 and served as Chair from 1973 to 1975; he retired in 2005.  He taught principally in the areas of constitutional law and tax policy.  Jim studied at Mount Allison, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Ottawa, earning his doctorate at the London School of Economics. He was an especially warm, welcoming and gregarious individual and colleague.

As our colleague Lynn Campbell said, he was “one of the great characters and teachers at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€¦ Jim was larger than life whether as a professor of law, a driver of taxis in Hull, or legal negotiator in the fisheries disputes…  He will be missed.”  He hailed from Glace Bay, Cape Breton, and he remained very much a loyal son of the area – his contributions of “cod cheeks” (and other exotic parts of that fish) to office potlucks were a testament to that!

On behalf of the Department, Chair Ron Saunders extends our sympathy to Jim’s family and many friends. Further details on Jim’s life and the service arrangements can be found at: .

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Dorothea Wayand, a longtime member of this Department and former Chair, passed away on September 21st in her 92nd year.

She was first a contract instructor in the Department of Political Science in St. Patrick’s College in 1968, and was jointly appointed a professor in the Departments of Law and Political Science at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ in 1971, becoming a professor solely in the then Department of Law in 1973.  Dorothea was the first woman appointed in the department and remained the only woman on faculty for several years. She taught and worked in the areas of political theory, the civilist tradition, legal philosophy, and tort law.  She retired in 1994, and remained an Adjunct Professor until 2005, teaching until she was 80 years old.

Dorothea was a wonderful colleague and avid supporter of the Department. She had a wide-ranging intellectual inquisitiveness that stayed with her all her life. She was also was an especially kind, engaged and supportive teacher, mentor and friend. Her curiosity, intellect, common sense, energy, and generous nature combined to create an exceptional colleague and member of the Department.

The members of the Department offer their sincere condolences to her children, Julia and Martin, to her grandchildren, and to other members of her family.

—

R.P. Saunders
Chair

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