Can Solitary Confinement in Canada Be Reformed or Abolished?
The À¦°óSMÉçÇø Faculty of Law is delighted to invite you to its campus for the 2022 Proulx Roundtable onÌýApril 5, which will focus on an important and timely issue. Two leading experts will discuss their prominent reports on ongoing legal reforms to abolish or reform solitary confinement in Canada. This practice is increasingly recognized as a human rights violation and form of torture, especially if inflicted for long periods in violation of the U.N. Nelson Mandela Rules on prisoners’ rights. Even though the treatment of prisoners is a benchmark of human dignity, solitary confinement remains commonplace in the prisons of Canada and numerous democratic societies.
Our distinguished speakers will beÌýAnthony Doob, Professor Emeritus of Criminology, University of Toronto, andÌýJane Sprott, Professor of Criminology, Ryerson University. Their research on solitary confinementÌýÌýfrom scholars, practitioners,ÌýÌýÌý, given its profound implications for Canadian criminal justice. Professors Doob and Sprott will describe their findings on the state of solitary confinement, from immobilism to prospects for change.
The event will be onÌýTuesday, April 5, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Ìýin the Moot Court Room at 3644 Peel Street in Montreal. Consistently with public-health regulations, attendees will need to present proof of vaccination and wear a procedural mask (available at our entrances).ÌýPleaseÌý.
Following a long winter, this year’s Proulx Roundtable marks the beginning of spring and the return to diverse campus activities.ÌýThe Roundtable is named after theÌýHonourableÌýMichelÌýProulxÌý(1939-2007), who devoted his life to the improvement of the criminal justice system and to the advancement of human rights in Canada. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1963, he quickly became known as one of the finest criminal lawyers nationwide. In 1989, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Quebec. In 2006, he was awarded the Prix de la Justice du Québec in light of his devotion to the improvement of justice in Quebec.ÌýMichelÌýProulxÌýequally taught Criminal Procedure and Evidence in Criminal Matters for over twenty years as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law of À¦°óSMÉçÇø, besides supporting our international human rights programs. His commitment to the Faculty of Law was constant and devoted, providing counsel and encouragement to students, teachers, and deans. The Faculty of Law hosts theÌýMichelÌýProulxÌýRoundtable Conferences in Criminal Law to honour his memory.ÌýThe À¦°óSMÉçÇø community is grateful to the Proulx family for making this event possible.
The event is organized and hosted byÌýProfessor Mugambi Jouet of the À¦°óSMÉçÇø Faculty of Law. Please feel free to reach him atÌýmugambi.jouet [at] mcgill.caÌýwith questions about the program.