2027 EDITION | 2026 RECIPIENT | ABOUT
2027 Charles D. Gonthier Research Fellowship
Constitutional Law
Each year, CIAJ supports research on a fundamental issue related to its annual conference.
Open to faculty and graduate students at Canadian universities, the fellowship is designed to encourage innovative research.
Why should you apply?
- Contribute to an essential reflection.
- Take part in a national discussion that will bring together researchers, judges, lawyers, decision-makers and civil society players.
- Present your results in a recognized academic setting and publish your work in a specialized journal.
How to apply
- Deadline: [Information to come]
- Fill in this form [Application Form coming soon] and e-mail it to ciaj@ciaj-icaj.ca.
- The recipient will be informed at the end of September and will have to submit his/her report by the end of [Information to come].
Notes :
- The recipient of the Charles D. Gonthier Research Fellowship is encouraged to seek publication of the paper in a reputable scholarly publication and to indicate, in an introductory note, that financial support for the research was provided by CIAJ.
- In addition to submission of a completed research report, CIAJ expects to receive a complete account of expenditures.
2026 Recipient
CIAJ’s 2026 Charles D. Gonthier Research Fellowship of $9,000 was given to Yenny Vega Cardenas, for her project (In French) entitled “L’équité procédurale et le droit de la Nature d’être entendue: vers une approche réparatrice de la gouvernance environnementale” [coming soon].
About Yenny Vega Cardenas, PhD, Lawyer
Yenny Vega Cárdenas holds a PhD in law and is a lawyer and researcher specializing in water law, the rights of Nature, and comparative law. She is president and co-founder of the International Observatory on the Rights of Nature (IORN) and a Research Advisor at the University of Sherbrooke in Canada. She is also an expert member of the United Nations Harmony with Nature programme and of the World Commission on Environmental Law of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Her research adopts a comparative law and legal pluralism perspective, with particular attention to changes in legal frameworks for the protection of water and ecosystems, the recognition of Nature as a subject of rights, and the processes of decolonizing law. She was a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany, and undertook research stays at the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo (Norway) and the University of Helsinki (Finland).
A recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her contribution to the protection of Nature in Canada, she played a pivotal role in the efforts that led to the recognition of the rights and legal personhood of the Magpie River (Muteshekau-shipu), a historic first in Canada, as well as in the recognition of the rights of Rice Lake (Pemadeshkodeyong), a first in Ontario.
The author of numerous scholarly publications in English, French, and Spanish, she regularly speaks at national and international conferences, including the climate and biodiversity Conferences of the Parties (COPs). She also participates as an observer in international negotiations on environmental issues and contributes to research and collaborative initiatives bringing together academic, legal, and community stakeholders to address issues of environmental governance and ecological justice.
She recently co-edited the collective volume A Legal Personality for the St. Lawrence River and other Rivers of the World, dedicated to the recognition of Nature and rivers as subjects of rights. Her book Methodology and Epistemology of Comparative Law: A Variety of Methods and Schools, published by LexisNexis Canada, offers a methodological reflection on the epistemological foundations of comparative law and the possibilities for decolonizing legal knowledge and methods.
She also teaches and gives lectures at several universities in Canada, Scandinavia, and Latin America, where she contributes to education and scholarly exchanges in comparative law, water law, and the rights of Nature.
About the $9,000 Charles D. Gonthier Research Fellowship
CIAJ provides funds for the Charles D. Gonthier Research Fellowship, named in honour of the late Mr. Justice Charles D. Gonthier of the Supreme Court of Canada, a former President of CIAJ. The $9,000 Fellowship was created in 2001 and supports research in relation to the topic of the annual conference.
Each conference focuses on a specific aspect of CIAJ’s themes:
- Justice as a humanistic and social value
- Justice as a public service
- Justice in a global economy and interdependent world
Administration of Funds
The funds are administered by CIAJ on behalf of the successful applicant and are available to support research assistance or other out-of-pocket expenses, but may not be used as an honorarium. It is expected that the completed research will be presented at CIAJ’s 50th Annual conference in October 2026 (Ottawa, ON).
The maximum amount of the Fellowship is $9,000. The selection of the project for the research fellowship will be made by a committee composed of the President of the CIAJ (or his/her nominee), one of the Co-Chairs of the Education and Research Planning Committee, and one other person selected by the Executive Committee.