Schulich School of Law

Diana Ginn

Professor of Law

Diana_Ginn_2020

Related information

Schulich School of Law

Email: d.ginn@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-2798
Mailing Address: 
Room 433, Weldon Law Building, 6061 University Avenue
PO Box 15000 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Religion and the law
  • Property law
  • Administrative law
  • Constitutional law
  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • Aboriginal law

Education

  • BA (Mount Allison)
  • LLB (Queen's)
  • LLM (Osgoode)

Bar admissions

  • Nova Scotia, 1994
  • Northwest Territories, 1986
  • Ontario, 1984

Teaching

Over the years, Professor Ginn's teaching areas have included: law and religion, property law, administrative law, alternative dispute resolution, public law, health law, and women and the law. With Professor David Blaikie, she has also developed and taught courses in law at Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam and the Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Professor Ginn has acted as a coach and examiner in the Negotiations and Conflict Management Programme at Dalhousie, and facilitated seminars on conflict resolution in a variety of settings. In 2016-17, while on sabbatical, Professor Ginn held the Simon Visiting Fellowship at the School of Law, University of Manchester, in the U.K.

Areas of supervision: Law and religion, administrative law, constitutional law, alternative dispute resolution, property law.

Research interests

Professor Ginn's research and writing interests cover a range of topics, including religion and the law, administrative law, aboriginal title, and property law, health care issues and gender issues.

Selected awards & honours

  • 2014 - Hanna and Harold Barnett Award in Law for Excellence in Teaching first-year law, presented by the Dalhousie Law Students' Society
  • 2012 - Hanna and Harold Barnett Award in Law for Excellence in Teaching first-year law, presented by the Dalhousie Law Students' Society
  • 2005 - Hanna and Harold Barnett Award in Law for Excellence in Teaching first-year law, presented by the Dalhousie Law Students' Society
  • 2005 - Recipient of the Class Ring from the graduating class
  • 1997 - Dalhousie Law Students' Society & Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching

Selected publications

Articles
 
  • “A Legal-Empirical Analysis of Substantive Review: Findings from the British Columbia Courts” (2017) 30:2 Canadian Journal of Administrative Law & Practice 175-209 (Coauthors: William Lahey and Madison Veinotte).
  • “How Has Dunsmuir Worked? A Legal-Empirical Analysis of Substantive Review of Administrative Decisions after Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick: Findings from the Courts of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta” (2017) 30:3 Canadian Journal of Administrative Law & Practice 317-349 (Co-authors: William Lahey, David Constantine and Nicholas Hooper) 
  • “Some Initial Thoughts on Wilson v. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd and Edmonton (City) v. Edmonton East (Capilano) Shopping Centres Ltd” (2017) 68 University of New Brunswick Law Journal 285-311 
  • “Recognition of Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: The Changing Landscape” (2016) 46:4 Advocates Quarterly 395 (Co-author: Nicholas Hooper). 
  • “Pluralism, Autonomy and Resistance: A Canadian Perspective on Resolving Conflicts Between Freedom of Religion and LGBTQ Rights” (2017) 12:1 Religion & Human Rights 1 (Co-author: Kevin Kindred).
  • “How Has Dunsmuir Worked? A Legal- Empirical Analysis of Substantive Review of Administrative Decisions after Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick: Findings from the Federal Courts” (2017) 30:1 Canadian Journal of Administrative Law & Practice 51 (Coauthors: William Lahey, Lauren Soubolsky and Madison Veinotte.)
  • “The Scope of Protection Provided by Apology Legislation in Canada with Emphasis on the Patient-Health Care Provider Relationship” (2017) 46:3 Advocates Quarterly 285 (Coauthor: Rachel Boyle).
  • “The Philosophy of Law in Canada’s North” in Dawid Bunikowski, ed, Philosophy of Law in the Arctic (Rovaniemi: Arctic Law Thematic Network, 2016).
  • “Beyond Dunsmuir: Clarity on the Standard of Review from Saguenay” (2015) 44(4) Advocates Quarterly 527 (Co-author: Greg Johannson).
  • “Reading Hutterian Brethren v. Alberta in a Larger Constitutional Law Context” (2014) 43 Advocates Quarterly 306 (Co-author: James P. Barry).
  • “Legislators and Religious-Based Reasoning” (2013) 21:2 Constitutional Forum (Co-authors: David Blaikie, Micah Goldstein)
  • “Judges and Religious-Based Reasoning”, (2011) 19:2 Constitutional Forum 53 (Co-author: David Blaikie).
  • “New Words for Old Problems: The Dunsmuir Era”, (2010) Advocates’ Quarterly, Vol. 37:3.
  • “Aboriginal Title and Aquaculture” in Aquaculture Law and Policy (eds: D. Vanderzwaag and Gloria Chao) (Routledge, 2006).
  • “Aboriginal Title and Oceans Management” in Toward Principled Oceans Governance” (eds: Don Rothwell and David Vanderzwaag) (Routledge 2006).
  • “Religious Discourse in the Public Square”, Vol. 15:1 (2006) Constitutional Forum 37 (Co- author: David Blaikie)
  • Four chapters (“Covenants”; “Incorporeal Hereditaments”;“Fixtures”; and “Boundaries” (Co-author: Monica McQueen) in Anger and Honsberger on Real Property. 3rd ed. (ed: Anne La Forest) Canada Law Book, 2006)
  • “The Supreme Court of Canada and what it means to be “Of Woman Born’” in From Motherhood to Mothering: The Legacy of Adrienne Rich’s Of Woman Born (ed:  Dr. Andrea O’Reilly) State University of New York Press, 2004.
  • “After the Revolution: Being Pragmatic and Functional in Canada’s Trial Courts and Courts of Appeal”, Vol. 25:2 (Fall, 2002) Dalhousie Law Journal. (Co-author: William Lahey)
  • “A Balancing that is Beyond the Scope of the Common Law: A Discussion of the Issues Raised by Dobson v. (Litigation Guardian of) Dobson”, (2001) 27(1) Queen’s Law Journal 51.
 
Other Writing
 
  • Report on the regulation of immigration and citizenship consultants, under contract with the federal government. 2017 (Co-authors: William Lahey and David Blaikie)
  • Policy paper on the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in environmental disputes, under a contract with the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Environment, 2016 
  • Review of the provincial Framework  for Action Against Family Violence, under a contract with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice 2001. (Co-author: Dawn Russell)

Service & activity

  • Board Chair, Halifax Community Chaplaincy Society (which focuses on assisting the recently incarcerated with re-integration)
  • Volunteer with Out of the Cold Emergency Homeless Shelter
  • Member, Brunswick Street Mission Board
  • Member of various committees within the United Church of Canada
  • 2004 - 2009: Nova Scotia Law Reform Commission
  • 2004 - 2007 and 2013: Bar Society of Nova Scotia's Qualifications and Bar Admissions Course Committee
  • Past Board Member of the Atlantic School of Theology