Joshua Nichols promoted and granted tenure

The Faculty of Law is pleased to announce that Professor Joshua Nichols has been promoted to the rank of associate professor, with tenure, effective 1 June 2024.

Joshua Ben David Nichols is Metis from Treaty 8 Territory in British Columbia. He teaches and publishes in legal theory, political philosophy and constitutional law. His research focuses on the role that imperial systems of internal colonization have played in the development of liberal democracies in the 20th century and the challenges these systems pose to constitutionalism, federalism and the rule of law.

His current research project examines the constitutional histories of the Dominions of Canada and South Africa from the post-World War I move to independence to their ongoing projects of constitutional reconciliation.

Professor Nichols joined McGill as an assistant professor in 2021. Holder of a PhD (Philosophy) from the University of Toronto, a JD from the University of British Columbia, and a PhD (Law) from the University of Victoria, he was previously an assistant professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.

His monograph A Reconciliation without Recollection: An Investigation of the Foundations of Aboriginal Law in Canada (University of Toronto Press, 2020) was a finalist for the 2021 Donald Smiley Prize by the Canadian Political Science Association. “A brilliant exploration of [the] use and misuse [of the idea of reconciliation] in Canadian legal discourse,” Prof. Nichols’ interdisciplinary work was hailed as “a truly significant contribution to the understanding of reconciliation in Canada today.”

“I’m delighted to see this well-deserved recognition of our colleague, whose multidisciplinary outlook has made rich contributions to the vibrant intellectual life of our Faculty,” said Dean Robert Leckey, Ad E. “As he takes on a more senior role in our community, I look forward to seeing him continue to grow as a leading scholar in his fields.”