Thursday, October 17, 2024

For his expertise and leadership in Indigenous and Aboriginal law

Professor Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) is Beaver Clan from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. He was managing editor of the inaugural edition of the Indigenous Law Journal in 2002 while a student at the University of Toronto’s JD program. Sanderson went on to earn his LL.M from Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. From 2004 to 2007, he was senior advisor to the Government of Ontario, first in the Office of the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs (now the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation), and later to the Attorney General.

Sanderson holds the Prichard-Wilson Chair in Law and Public Policy and serves as the decanal advisor on Indigenous issues at the University of Toronto, where he has been teaching since 2009.

Sanderson’s long history of involvement in human rights, and in particular, significant reforms to Ontario’s human rights system (Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2007) were recognized in 2021 when he was honoured with the Ludwik and Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize. In 2022, Sanderson received the University of Toronto’s President’s Impact Award, which recognizes substantial contributions beyond the academy and within popular culture.