MISC Eakin Lecture: Kate Puddister, "To Serve and Protect? Canadian Police Oversight in Practice"

Fall 2022 Eakin Lecture

"To Serve and Protect? Canadian Police Oversight in Practice"
Professor Kate Puddister
Thursday, November 10, 2022, 4 p.m.

This event is free, but registration is required. Register here.

In the spring of 2020, people across Canada marched in the streets to call for police reform and to protest police brutality and the police killings of Black and Indigenous peoples. When the police act or appear to act outside of the law, it can undermine the legitimacy of law enforcement and the wider justice system. Because of this, police oversight is essential for accountability and to foster public trust. This lecture will explore what happens when police break the law, how the Canadian justice system responds, and why police oversight is important. We will discuss the outcomes and failings of the police oversight system and consider ideas for reform.

Kate Puddister is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph, and she contributes to the Political Science, Criminal Justice and Public Policy (CCJP), Justice and Legal Studies (JLS) programs. She is the Visiting Eakin Fellow at the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada for Fall 2022.

The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and reception.