معرفی
Chris Tollefson is a Professor of Law at the University of Victoria's Faculty of Law, renowned for pioneering Canadian public interest environmental law. He founded the UVic Environmental Law Centre and served as director of Ecojustice Canada, leading major environmental litigation efforts. His career includes the Hakai Chair in Environmental Law (2011–2016) and co-founding the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation (CELL) to train future environmental litigators.
Educations:
- BA, Queen’s University (1982)
- LLB, University of Victoria (1985)
- LLM, Osgoode Hall Law School (1993)
Research Focus: Environmental law, climate litigation, public interest litigation, and governance frameworks addressing environmental crises. Notable work includes challenging major infrastructure projects (e.g., Northern Gateway, Trans Mountain pipelines) and advocating for climate accountability through lawsuits like La Rose v. Canada.
Awards: 2014 Nature Canada Conservation Partner Award for Northern Gateway litigation leadership, teaching/research awards from UVic.
Grants & Advising: Oversaw CELL’s experiential learning programs, leading student teams in high-profile cases. Advised on landmark environmental assessments and regulatory reviews, including the Teck Frontier oilsands project and Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal.
Labs/Teams: Co-director of Tollefson Law (public interest-focused firm), principal of CELL, and collaborator with organizations such as Nature Canada and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
