Jamie Cassels, QC

Professor Emeritus
Former President of the University of Victoria


Jamie Cassels

Jamie Cassels, QC

I joined the Faculty of Law in 1981 and continue to have a rewarding career as a teacher, a scholar and an educational leader. In addition to being a professor of law, I have served as the faculty's dean, and for a ten year period served as the university's Vice President Academic and Provost. I continued my academic leadership when I served as the seventh president of the University of Victoria from July 2013 to October 2020. I continue to be engaged in teaching, supervision and research, in law, though on an attenuated basis.

I hold a BA in law and philosophy from Carleton University, an LLB (bachelor of law) from the University of Western Ontario and an LLM (master of law) from Columbia University. I am also a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

My areas of expertise include remedies, legal theory, contracts, and torts. Other interests include environmental issues, law and society in India, and race and gender issues in the law of tort. Among my publications are: The Uncertain Promise of Law: Lessons from Bhopal (1993) about the environmental and human cost of the devastating 1984 explosion at a Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, and its aftermath. Additionally, I am the author of Remedies: The Law of Damages (2000; second edition with Elizabeth Adjin-Tettey, 2008); and Complex Litigation: The Law of Large-Scale Claims (2005 with Craig Jones). These works and my various journal articles are widely cited in both the academic literature and in courts across the country. I am a member of the Bar of British Columbia and as a lawyer and legal scholar have provided legal advice and guidance on issues of public importance.

My teaching and scholarly accomplishments have been recognized by various awards, including the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award for Academic Excellence for contributions to legal research and education, the UVic Alumni Association award for excellence in teaching; and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship — Canada's highest award for university teaching. I was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2004 for contributions to the legal profession.

  • BA – Carleton (1976)
  • LLB – Western Ontario (1980)
  • LLM – Columbia (1981)
  • The Uncertain Promise of Law: Lessons from Bhopal (University of Toronto Press, 1993)
  • The national casebook (co-authored) Remedies: Cases and Materials (Emond Montgomery, 2006)
  • Remedies: The Law of Damages (Irwin Law, 2000) (2nd edition Irwin Law, 2008 with Elizabeth Adjin-Tettey)
  • Complex Litigation: The Law of Large-Scale Claims (Irwin Law, 2005 with Craig Jones)