Expert Roundtable on R v Morris: Accounting for Anti-Black Racism in Criminal Sentencing

The Nathanson Centre is pleased to present a virtual Expert Roundtable on R v Morris.

Moderated by Prof. Sonia Lawrence (Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School), the roundtable will feature four discussants:

• Prof. Carl James, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, York Faculty of Education. Prof. James' areas of expertise include the intersectionality of race with ethnicity, gender, class, and citizenship, and the ways in which educational and employment opportunities account for the lived experiences of marginalized community members. Prof. James co-authored one of the enhanced pre-sentence reports used in Morris.
• Prof. Danardo Jones, Assistant Professor, Windsor Law. Prof. Jones researches in the areas of criminal law and procedure, sentencing, and race and the law. He is the former Director of Legal Services for the African Canadian Legal Clinic and has practiced as a defence lawyer with legal aid clinics in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Prof. Jones’ is currently undertaking research on enhanced pre-sentence reports. 
• Prof. Lisa Kerr, Assistant Professor & Director of the Criminal Law Group, Queen's Law. Professor Kerr’s research spans criminal law, sentencing policy, punishment theory, and prisoner rights. She also does extensive pro bono litigation work, including with the Queen's Prison Law Clinic and the BC Civil Liberties Association. Prof. Kerr is currently undertaking SSHRC-funded research on race and sentencing law. 
• Prof. Faisal Mirza, partner at Mirza Kwok & Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Prof. Mirza is a highly experienced criminal trial and appeal lawyer. Among his many professional and public advocacy contributions, Prof. Mirza co-founded the Sentencing and Parole Project, a non-profit organization that prepares enhanced pre-sentence reports, and represented Mr. Morris at trial and on appeal.

RSVP here