John Peters Humphrey Fellowship
The Canadian Council on International Law awards annually up to three John Peters Humphrey Student Fellowships in the field of International Human Rights Law or International Organization.
John P. Humphrey (1905-1995)
Humphrey in Geneva, 1947
McGill University Archives
About the Fellowship
​
The John Peters Humphrey Student Fellowships in International Human Rights Law or International Organization are the result of a most generous bequest to the Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL) by the late John Peters Humphrey, a renowned Canadian international lawyer and scholar.
During his 20 years of service with the United Nations and more than 40 years as a human rights activist and academic, he was instrumental in efforts to promote wide ratification of, and adherence to, the major global and regional international human rights instruments. In 1974, Professor Humphrey was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to legal Fellowship and his world-wide reputation in the field of human rights, and in 1988 he received the United Nation’s Human Rights Award.
​
The CCIL will award up to three fellowships to enable selected individuals to begin or continue graduate studies at a reputable academic institution in Canada or abroad. Priority will be given to individuals who are entering or about to enter graduate studies. At least one fellowship may be awarded to an individual enrolled in a master's program (or equivalent).
The John Peters Humphrey Fellowship is awarded annually in September and is worth up to $20,000 CDN, with a maximum of $10,000 CDN for tuition and fees and a $10,000 CDN stipend for living expenses.
The application process for Academic Year 2025-2026 is OPEN
Application deadline: January 20, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
​
The following individuals may apply for a John Peters Humphrey Fellowship:
​
-
individuals who have graduated or will soon graduate from a Canadian law school;
-
individuals who are studying in a graduate program at a Canadian law school;
-
persons studying in Canada in one of the political science disciplines (or the equivalent) in a graduate program.
They must be in a position to begin within the next few months or to continue a full-time graduate program in the field of international human rights law or international organization.
Recipients may apply for a one-year extension in a subsequent contest, subject to the requirements at that time.
​
Key Dates
Fall 2024 - Application process opens.
​January 20, 2025 - Application process closes.
Early April 2025 - Applicants notified.​​
Info Webinar - December 13, 2024
Information Webinar on the John Peters Humphrey Fellowships
Friday, December 13, 2024
12:00 p.m. (EST) / 13:00 p.m. (AST) / 9:00 a.m. (PST)
​
Topics covered:
• Practical information about the Fellowships;
• Helpful tips for preparing an application;
• Testimonials from a Selection Committee member and from a recipient.
The session will be followed by a Q&A.
Congratulations to the 2024
John Peters Humphrey Fellowship Recipients
Rhona Goodarzi
DLC Candidate,
McGill University
Proposed Program of Study
​
Title: "Conceptualising the Right to Protest in the Digital Age"
​
Rhona’s thesis will explore the underexamined trend in which supranational human rights courts and many domestic courts allow the right to protest to be eclipsed by other fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of expression and, increasingly, the growing body of digital and privacy rights.
​
Education:
LL.M., McGill University
LL.B., University of Edinburgh
Catherine Savard
D.Phil. in Law Candidate
Oxford University
Proposed Program of Study
​
Title: "The House is Burning: The Emerging Prohibition of Ecocide in International Law".
My thesis aims to provide the first comprehensive treatise on ecocide under international law. It answers the following question: how does a prohibition of ecocide on individuals, states, and corporations challenge the existing international justice system, and how can these challenges be overcome?
​
Education:
LL.M., Université Laval
LL.B., Université Laval
DCS, Cégep de Sainte-Foy
Cloé Dubuc
PhD Candidate
University of Sydney
Proposed Program of Study
​
Title: "Digital Witnesses: Video-Link Testimonies and the Fairness of Proceedings at the International Criminal Court"
​
My thesis aims to provide the first comprehensive empirical research derived from the viewpoint of ICC practitioners to investigate how the use of video-link technology to hear witnesses at the ICC impacts the conduct of testimonial judicial activities and, in turn, fair trial rights. These interviews seek to determine, in essence, how participants engaged in VLT perceived the effectiveness of examination and cross-examination and the assessment of evidence.​
​
Education:
LL.M., Université Laval
B.A., Université du Québec à Montréal
DEC, Cégep de Valleyfield