Looking for justice beyond the law
The Armenian Genocide. The Holocaust. The Rwandan Genocide. Millions dead. Thousands guilty. Just what can legal systems do in response to such horrors?
“Criminal law simply isn’t designed to judge crimes of this magnitude,” says Murielle Paradelle, who has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law’s Civil Law Section since 2005. Professor Paradelle studies the administration of justice in the wake of genocides and other crimes against humanity and seeks to understand the challenges of prosecuting such crimes. She also studies what both victims and society as a whole expect from the justice system, as well as the scope of the legal process and its role in collective healing.
So, Professor Paradelle the jurist dons the cloak of sociologist and anthropologist in her approach to law. As she sees it, contrasting points of view and insights from other disciplines enrich legal training and research. “Interdisciplinarity broadens our outlook and enables us to make connections we’d never make otherwise,” she says. “Luckily, at the University of Ottawa, this approach has genuine support.”
Ultimately, her work affirms the depth and versatility of law—and its weighty influence on society. “Law is powerful, and it must be handled very carefully,” stresses Professor Paradelle. In her teaching, therefore, she emphasizes that every judicial rule stems from intentions and assumptions that we are not always aware of. She also strives to train responsible legal experts who will carefully weigh the long-term effects of their decisions on people.
Ask Professor Paradelle about her students, and her passion shines through. “Teaching has been a revelation for me. When I am in the classroom, I get to share my knowledge, to pass on what I know.” In the classroom, her research takes on even greater meaning as it inspires her course content. In return, her work is greatly enriched by her students, who help her see issues from a different perspective. Murielle Paradelle thrives on this interplay of ideas.
By Sophie Coupal
Published : June 2009