PLEAC Conference 2026 | Keynote Address and Plenary – The role of public legal educators in building an understanding of the Rule of Law
Description
Keynote Address: At the outset of 2026, “rule of law” continues to receive intense and deserved attention. People across Canada hear, talk and ask questions about the rule of law and its importance in our free and democratic society and throughout the world. As foundation and framework, rule of law attracts concern and curiosity; public literacy, confidence and participation related to rule of law require constant investment. Professor Shauna Van Praagh, President of the Law Commission of Canada, draws connections between public legal education and responsive law reform to support a shared commitment to the promise and practice of rule of law.
Plenary: Building on the keynote, panellists will discuss the role – and responsibilities – of public legal educators in helping ensure that the rule of law in our country remains robust. Drawing on their experience in civic engagement and education, legal advocacy, and community organizing, panellists will share their perspectives on how organizations can play a constructive role at this turbulent time.
Links:
https://www.canada.ca/en/law-commission-canada.html
https://www.samaracentre.ca/
https://salc.on.ca/
https://ccla.org/
Speaker Bios:
Shauna Van Praagh is the President, as of June 2023, of the Law Commission of Canada, an independent federal agency committed to engaging the people of Canada in the ongoing and dynamic evolution of law. She is currently on leave from McGill University, where she is a FullProfessor of Law, has taught since 1993, served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Law (2007-2010), and received the Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2023. Shauna’s areas of teaching, research and writing include children and law, social diversity and law, legal education, civil liability, comparative legal traditions, and storytelling in law. Her service to community includes public lectures, primary school workshops, contributions to literary journals, podcast interviews, opinion pieces in newspapers, and the organization of public symposia.A graduate of the University of Toronto (BSc 1986, LLB 1989) and Columbia University (LLM 1992, JSD 2000), Shauna clerked for the Right Honourable Brian Dickson, Chief Justice of Canada, in 1989-1990. Born in Toronto, she grew up in New Delhi, Singapore and Ottawa.
Sabreena Delhon is the CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy, Canada’s leading non-partisan organization focused on strengthening and protecting Canadian democracy. For over a decade she has directed multi-stakeholder research and public engagement initiatives that have made an impact across justice, academic, and non-profit sectors. Sabreena has appeared as an expert witness before Parliamentary committees on matters relating to political participation and frequently provides commentary about democratic engagement for various media outlets such as The Globe & Mail, CBC Radio, The Social and The Toronto Star. She is the host of Humans of the House, an award-winning podcast that explores the lived experience of former Members of Parliament, and Group Chat, a podcast about contemporary issues in Canada’s democracy. Sabreena is a Senior Fellow at Massey College and is a recipient of the Coronation Medal for service to Canada. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Alberta and an MA in Sociology from Dalhousie University.
Shalini Konanur is the Executive Director and a lawyer at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO). Shalini has been SALCO’s ED since it received Legal Aid funding in 2007 and has spearheaded SALCO’s tremendous growth over the past 15 years. Shalini has worked in the legal clinic system since as a law student and since her call to the bar in 2000. She has worked in both rural and urban legal clinics and her focus at SALCO has been in dismantling racism, discrimination, and gender-based violence to improve life-outcomes for the communities that SALCO serves. Shalini is actively involved in several areas of poverty law reform, including lobbying at the municipal, provincial, and federal level for social assistance, housing, immigration, employment, human rights, and gender-based violence reform. Shalini also spearheads SALCO`s test case work, challenging issues of racial, gender, and religious discrimination at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Federal Court. Shalini’s work focuses on the promotion of access to justice for racialized communities in Canada and on addressing poverty for SALCO’s low-income constituency. Shalini works alongside an incredible group of colleagues who are deeply committed to social justice for South Asians in Canada.
Nat Paul comes has a theoretical background informed by critical pedagogy, a deep commitment to emancipatory education and over a decade supporting Ontario teachers engaging with the law in their classrooms. As Director of Education at CCLET and CCLA, Nat oversees rights-focused programming in school and community settings and joins his colleagues in presenting to a variety of audiences to build a sense of ownership and agency with respect to the justice system and the rights and freedoms of people in Canada. Firm in the belief that eventually, teachers will change the world, Nat is grateful for the chance to do good work with outstanding colleagues and audiences.
David Wiseman is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section (English program), University of Ottawa. David has recently completed terms as Vice-Dean (Academic) and as Academic Director of Experiential and Clinical Learning. The primary focus of David’s teaching, research and service activities is access to justice, including reports co-authored with Julie Mathews on community justice help.