Today, Allard Law Professor Dr. Supriya Routh was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists at a ceremony in Montreal.
The college is Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership.
An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Routh’s scholarship examines issues including labour and employment law, workers’ collective action, law and social justice, and legal theory. His scholarly approach bridges the disciplines of law, political theory, practical philosophy and sociology.
“It’s both humbling and inspiring to be elected by my peers for my research and scholarly contributions,” says Dr. Routh. “I see this as a motivation to continue exploring novel intellectual challenges and a responsibility to continue to employ scholarly rigour and intellectual honesty in exploring some of the fundamental problems facing our society.”
Dr. Routh’s recent research has explored the idea that every society expects its citizens to work as a matter of obligation – sometimes specified in their constitution – in furthering collective social ambitions, and that this obligation should serve as the grounding for workers’ legal protections and entitlements. His earlier work examined the exclusion of the vast majority of informal workers in the Global South from regulatory and legal protections and how informal workers have overcome some of these exclusions by organizing themselves in non-conventional workers’ organizations.
His ongoing project seeks to reexamine the logic of legal regulation at the intersection of human livelihoods and the environment. He is also currently examining how deepening workers’ involvement in deliberative democracy can help shape laws that better reflect the needs of workers in plural postcolonial societies. In 2024, he was awarded a Canada Research Chair in Labour Law and Social Justice.
“Work is the most fundamental condition of human life for most of us,” says Dr. Routh, who was drawn to the study of labour law to better understand how political and social forces shape the rights and agency of workers.
Dr. Routh shares his expertise nationally and internationally, such as with labour court judges in Rio de Janeiro, international trade union representatives and employers’ group leaders in Geneva, and trade union leaders and government officials in Marrakech. In Kolkata, India, he provided guidance to approximately 600 informal workers as they organized themselves into a trade union.
As Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Allard Law, Dr. Routh also leads the law school’s EDI Office, launched in July 2024. His current focus is on supporting long-term cultural and systemic change through EDI training, community of practice catalogues, and community conversations. In October, his team hosted a conference on EDI in legal practice that brought together students, practitioners, faculty and law practice regulators to learn, share perspectives and strengthen efforts toward a more equitable and inclusive legal community.
Looking ahead, Dr. Routh aims to increase outreach to encourage high school and university students from historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized groups to consider legal education.
“The Royal Society of Canada is delighted to welcome into its ranks a talented group of inspiring researchers, artists, and creators whose peers have recognized their exceptional contributions to the world of science and culture, as well as to the well-being of Canadians,” says Alain-G. Gagnon, FRSC, President of the Royal Society of Canada. “Their research will continue to influence public policy for years to come, while improving the well-being of our society.”
