Our History
The Department of Law and Legal Studies at ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ University is home to Canada’s premier Legal Studies program.
We are Canada’s oldest and largest undergraduate program in Legal Studies. Emerging in 1967 as the first unit in the country to study law with multidisciplinary academic concerns in mind.
Find more about our programs, award winning faculty and instructors, and more: ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ Our Department.
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1967 Department of Law founded
1971 B.A. Combined Major Degree offered
1973 B.A. Combined Honours Degree offered
1978 Areas of Interest identified
1979 Criminology and Corrections Concentration
1980 B.A. Major, Honours, Combined Major, and Combined Honours Degrees
1980 Law Enforcement Studies Certificate
1983 Criminology and Criminal Justice Concentration
1989 B.A. Pass, Combined Pass Program
1991 M.A. in Legal Studies
1997 Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution
1997 Study Abroad Option
1998 Concentrations in Law, Policy and Government, and Business Law
1999 B.A. General Program, B.A. Combined General Program, B.A. Minor in Law
2000 Combined B.A. Honours in Law and Human Rights
2000 ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ University /Algonquin College Articulation Agreement – B.A. (ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´)/Police Foundations (Algonquin)
2003 Mention Français
2010 Concentration in Transnational Law and Human Rights
2011 Ph.D. in Legal Studies Update of name: Department of Law and Legal Studies
2015 Bachelor of Global and International Studies, with Global Law and Social Justice specialization
2024 Concentration in Criminal Law and Social Order -
1967-1970 Abbott, R.D. (Dick)
1970-1973 Fraser, D. (Don)
1973-1974 Neuspiel, J.G. (George)
1974-1976 MacKenzie, J.A. (Jim)
1976-1978 McShane, K.G. (King)
1978-1980 Elliott, D.W. (David)
1980-1984 Campbell, R.L. (Lynn)
1984-1987 Wayand, D. (Dorothea)
1987-1990 Sargent, C.N. (Neil)
1990-1994 Saunders, R.P. (Ron)
1994-1999 Dawson, T.B. (Brettel)
1999-2002 MacNeil, M. (Michael)
2002-2008 Swan, P. (Peter)
2008-2011 Waskett, R. (Rosemary)
2011-2014 Rigakos, G.S. (George)
2014-2017 Saunders, R.P. (Ron)
2017-2021 Kazmierski, V. (Vincent)
2021-2022 Appel Kuzmarov, B. (Betina)
2022-Present Bou-Zeid, Z. (Zeina) -
In 1967, the Department of Law and Legal Studies emerged as the first unit in Canada to study law within an interdisciplinary context. Since then, we have grown to offer the largest and most extensive undergraduate and graduate programs in legal studies in the the country.
In 2017, we celebrated not only , but the of our department as well.