The Taylor Prize is awarded annually to a researcher whose work has made an important contribution to policy debates relevant to building a more socially-just Canada.
The recipient of this year’s Taylor Prize is Professor John Borrows.
Professor Borrows is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewas of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario. He earned BA and MA degrees in politics and history, and an LLB, LLM and PhD in Law. Before his appointment at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, he held the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law, where he co-founded the world’s first dual degree program in Indigenous and common law.
Professor Borrows has also had a transformative impact on public policy in Canada. He was a Research Advisor for the ground-breaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) and ‘ghost’ wrote sections of three chapters in the Final Reports. Retired Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the TRC, has stated that Professor Borrows “had a real impact on our deliberations within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission”. Professor Borrows wrote the 2004 Treaty Justice Report for the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, and the research paper that guided the final 2005 Ipperwash Inquiry Report for the Government of Ontario, as well as other government sponsored reports. His academic work has been cited 32 times by Human Rights bodies and various courts, including the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of Canada.
He has worked tirelessly on realizing the Calls to Action of the TRC, particularly related to law societies and legal education. Professor Borrows’ extraordinary work on revitalizing Indigenous law has further contributed to a re-envisioning of the potential of law and participatory democracy. His commitment to advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada has been unwavering. He has led the revitalization of Indigenous law and legal traditions in Canada. Beyond his contribution to Indigenous law, his focus on participation and engagement holds lessons for all those who value democracy and justice.