The One Justice Project (1JP) is committed to a vision of a world where one justice exists for all human rights and for all peoples. In particular, we seek to have serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights recognised as crimes in global public opinion, international law, and domestic legal systems worldwide.
We are committed to working collaboratively with a broad range of partners that seek to end serious violations of international economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. We aim to deploy our resources to enhance the capabilities and strengthen the advocacy of NGOs and local communities interested in using the language of individual criminal liability to campaign on serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. Our goal is to serve as a hub and focal point for research, advocacy, and campaigning on the need for individual criminal liability for serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights.
Partners
Centre for International Sustainable Development Law
The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law is an independent research centre that aims to promote sustainable societies and the protection of ecosystems by advancing the understanding, development and implementation of international sustainable development law. Through legal research, teaching, conferences, and capacity-building, it contributes to on-going policy processes and initiatives on the intersections of international law on the environment, human rights, human health, trade, and development.
People
Sébastien Jodoin, Director, One Justice Project
Sébastien Jodoin is the Director of the One Justice Project. He is also a Trudeau Scholar at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, where his research focuses on the links between human rights and environmental governance, and a Lead Counsel with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, leading its work on human rights and climate change and on legal empowerment for sustainable development. In addition, Sébastien is a Fellow with the Canadian Centre for International Justice and an Associate Fellow with the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. He serves on Amnesty International’s Working Group on International Justice and the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Poverty Law. Sébastien previously worked in the Canadian branch of Amnesty International and the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. He holds degrees in law, international law, and international relations from McGill University, the London School of Economics, and the University of Cambridge. Sébastien has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours, most recently including a Doctoral Scholarship from the Trudeau Foundation, a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities and Research Council of Canada, a John Humphrey Fellowship in Human Rights from the Canadian Council on International Law, and a Public Interest Law Articling Fellowship from the Law Foundation of Ontario. Since 2005, Sébastien has lectured widely at universities and conferences in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, actively participated in international negotiations on climate change, sustainable development, and international criminal law, published in leading academic journals in international law and policy, and been interviewed by a number of media outlets in Canada and Africa.
Katherine Lofts, Legal Officer, One Justice Project
Katherine Lofts is a Legal Officer with the One Justice Project. She is also an Associate Fellow with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. Katherine previously worked for the law firm White & Case in New York, and has interned with UNICEF UK in London, the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre in Delhi, and Rights & Democracy’s Women’s Rights Programme in Montreal. She has also served as an Editor with the International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy and as a research assistant at the McGill Faculty of Law. Katherine holds degrees in law and English literature from McGill University and the University of Victoria and has studied law at the Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne).
Yolanda Saito, Legal Officer, One Justice Project
Yolanda Saito is a Legal Officer with the One Justice Project. Prior to joining 1JP, Yolanda provided constitutional and criminal law advice in relation to cases claiming the new Rights of Nature enshrined in the 2008 Ecuadorian Constitution. She also previously served as Legal Coordinator and Counsel for the Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182 and has worked in research and advocacy with Ecojustice Canada, Sierra Club of Canada and West Coast Environmental Law as well as in litigation with McCarthy Tétrault LLP and the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic. Yolanda holds degrees in law and civil engineering from the University of Ottawa and the University of British Columbia.
Celina Kilgallen-Asencio, Associate Fellow, One Justice Project
Celina Kilgallen-Asencio is an Associate Fellow with the One Justice Project. Having a strong interest in human rights and civic empowerment, she previously worked with Canadian Crossroads International, the Johannesburg Social Housing Company, and the YWCA Montreal in various areas of community development. She is also the executive editor of the McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy, and the coordinator of the Hans and Tamar Oppenheimer Chair in Public International Law. Celina holds an Honours B.A. in Anthropology from Concordia University and is currently completing degrees in Common law and Civil law at McGill University.
Jennifer McWhaw, Associate Fellow, One Justice Project
Jennifer McWhaw is an Associate Fellow with the One Justice Project. She has worked with The Elders, the McGill Legal Information Clinic, and the McGill chapter of Avocats Sans Frontières. Jennifer holds an M.Sc. in International Relations Theory from the London School of Economics and an Honours B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from McGill University. She is currently completing degrees in Common law and Civil law at McGill University, where she is preparing for a career in international law.
Aseem Mehta, Junior Fellow, One Justice Project
Aseem Mehta is a Junior Fellow with the One Justice Project. Aseem works on media and communications projects for 1JP and is also coordinates its collaboration with the Academics Stand against Poverty network based at Yale. Aseem has previously worked as a Policy Research Assistant at the National Youth Recovery Foundation in Minneapolis and as a Research Assistant at the Boston Public Health Commission. Aseem is currently a sophomore at Yale University, studying Political Science and Economics, with a focus on international law and sustainable development.
Acknowledgements
Many individuals have supported the initial soft launch of the One Justice Project. Senning Luk, of Puppy Dog Tales, designed its website and logo and provided advice on digital and communications strategies. Rebecca Robb and Alex Hughes provided research assistance on numerous topics, including the examples of economic, social, and environmental crimes featured on this website. The contribution of the World Future Council to a related project for the creation of crimes against future generations is also gratefully acknowledged.
Please note that the One Justice Project is currently in a start-up phase. If you would like to be kept informed of future developments or if you are interested in joining or assisting with 1JP, please contact Sébastien Jodoin at sebastien.jodoin[a]onejusticeproject.org. 