Kathleen Mahoney

Kathleen Mahoney

KC

Positions

Professor Emerita

Faculty of Law

Contact information

Email

kmahoney@ucalgary.ca

Web presence

ABlawg

WordPress

Twitter

Background

Educational Background

LLM University of Cambridge, 1979

LLB University of British Columbia, 1976

Biography

  • Fellow of Royal Society of Canada
  • Senior Fellow, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights
  • Member of the Law Societies of Alberta and Manitoba
  • King's Counsel

Kathleen retired from the law school in 2021.

In June 2017, Kathleen was re-elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Red Cross for three years.

In November 2015, Royal Society of Canada appointed Kathleen as co-editor of the newsletter for the Academy of Social Sciences (English).

In October 2015, Kathleen was appointed to lead a Panel of Experts on Redress, Northern Ireland.

In June of 2015 Kathleen was awarded a Visiting Professorship with Ulster University, Belfast, from June 2015 to May 2019.

In June 2015, Kathleen was selected to serve as President of the Selection Committee for the selection of 2016 Trudeau Scholars.

In June 2014, Kathleen was selected to serve as President of the Selection Committee for the 2015 Trudeau Scholars.

In February 2014, Kathleen was appointed Queen's Counsel by Jonathon Denis, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General.

In November 2013, Kathleen was appointed Secretary of the National Academy of Social Sciences for the Royal Society of Canada.

In October 2013, Kathleen was selected to a second term as a National Director on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Red Cross, where she also serves on the Governance Committee.

In June 2013, Kathleen was selected to serve as Vice President of the Selection Committee for 2014 Trudeau Scholars.

In June 2012, Kathleen was selected to serve as Vice-President of the file review committee for the selection of the 2013 Trudeau Scholars.

Kathleen was Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development for 6 years. She was a founder of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund. She was recently named an expert advisor to the Interaction Council, an organization of former heads of state.

In 2006, Kathleen was named to be the Canadian Director of a 5 year project on judicial development and grassroots engagement in Vietnam. In 2009, she was a member of the International Bar Association's mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo to review the justice system and advise on a reformative plan.

Kathleen was the Chief Negotiator for the Assembly of First Nations for the historic Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, achieving the largest settlement in Canadian history and was a major architect of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Since 2007, Kathleen has served as a member of the National Administration Committee representing The Assembly of First Nations overseeing the implementation of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.

Research Activities

Kathleen's research interests are Human Rights, International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law, Constitutional Law, Women's Rights, Judicial  Development and Aboriginal Law. She has done extensive work on reparations for mass human rights abuses. In this context she was the Chief Negotiator for the Assembly of First Nations and primary architect of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission in the historic Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the largest agreement of its kind in Canadian history. In her pioneering work in judicial education, she has authored numerous foundational papers and organized conferences, workshops and collaborative international projects in Geneva, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Spain, Israel, China, Vietnam, the United States, and the United Nations. She has published extensively in academic journals as well as in the popular media.

Kathleen was awarded a Visiting Professorship with Ulster University, Belfast, from June 2015 to May 2019. She is a member of an Expert Committee seeking reparations for survivor of institutional abuse in Northern Ireland. Kathleen was named as a Senior Fellow at the The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights in 2018.

Research

Areas of Research

Equality, International Human Rights law, Judicial Education, Law and Reparations, Aboriginal people and the law, Feminist Legal Theory, Transitional Justice

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
LAW 57906 LEC 01 01 Legal Theory, Selected Topics 2021
LAW 57907 LEC 01 01 Legal Theory, Selected Topics 2021

Awards

  • Presenting Rosalie Silberman Abella Award to recipient, Nurjehan Mawani, Women in Leadership in Law Ontario Awards. 2024
  • Special Guest, Indigenous Heritage Celebration High Table, Massey College. 2023
  • The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta), Nominated by the Royal Society of Canada. 2023
  • The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Manitoba), Nominated by the Southern Chiefs Organization. 2023
  • Recipient of the Inaugural Rosalie Silberman Abella Award, Women in Leadership in Law Ontario Awards. 2022
  • Walking Together, Pope Francis Canada Apology Visit, Special Attendee. 2022
  • Private Audience with Pope Francis, Rome Italy, With Former National Chief, Phil Fontaine and Delegates. 2022
  • Nomination for 62nd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women , a member of the Canadian delegation to the 62nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. 2018
  • Jurist for 2017 Canada Prizes in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences . 2017
  • Visiting Professor Ulster University, 2015
  • Honored Guest, Grand Entry, 2013
  • Queen's Counsel, 2013
  • Vice President, Trudeau Scholars Selection Commitee, 2013
  • National Board of Directors and Governance Committee Member, Canadian Red Cross, 2012
  • Board of Directors, International Institute of Comparative Human Rights Law, 2011
  • Honorary Member, Genocide Remembrance Institute of Bosnia, 2011
  • International Team of Experts, Institute for the Research of Genocide, Canada, 2011
  • Membre de lAssemble Gnrale le Conseil dAdministration de lInstitut International des Droits de lHomme, Strasbourg, France, 2011
  • Nominating Committee, Royal Society of Canada, 2011
  • Nominating Committee, Royal Society of Canada, 2010
  • First Nations Honoring Ceremony, 2009
  • Private Audience with Pope Benedict XVI, 2009
  • Selected, Trudeau Fellowship, Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, 2008
  • Trudeau Fellow, Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, 2008
  • Alberta Centenial Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Human Rights, 2007
  • Alberta Medal for Contributions to Human Rights, 2007
  • Appointed, Special Advisor to the Hon. Iwin Cotler, Minister of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada Appointment Process, 2004
  • Canadian Director, CIDA Viet Nam Judicial Education Project, 2004
  • Elected, Selection Committee, Royal Society of Canada, 2004
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, 2004
  • Selected, Canadian Director, Judicial Education Project for Viet Nam ($10M CIDA Project bid), 2004
  • Special Advisor to the Hon. Iwin Cotler, Minister of Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada Appointment Process, 2004
  • University of Calgary Celebrating Excellence Award, 2002
  • Governor General's Medal, 2001
  • Fellow, Harvard University Human Rights Program, 1998
  • Fulbright Fellow, 1998
  • Visiting Professor, Human Rights Centre, Harvard University, 1998
  • Canadian and Alberta Canadian Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, 1997
  • Soroptomist Canada Women of Distinction Award, 1997
  • Visiting Professor, Griffiths University Brisbane, Australia, 1994
  • Visiting Professor, National University of Australia, 1994
  • Visiting Professor, University of Chicago Faculty of Law, 1994
  • Visiting Professor, University of Western Australia, 1994
  • Sir Allen Sewel Fellow, 1992
  • Distinguished Visiting Scholar, 1990
  • YWCA Woman of Distinction, 1987

Publications

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