Marine & Environmental Law Institute
The Institute, which is housed in the Schulich School of Law, carries out teaching, research capacity-building and consultancy activities and also directs the MELP academic specialization in marine and/or environmental law for JD students. In addition to their scholarly research and publication activities, MELAW faculty and associates carry out research projects and provide advisory services to agencies of the United Nations, international non-governmental organizations, and regional organizations as well as assisting government departments, private sector institutions and non-governmental organizations in Canada and overseas.
The Marine & Environmental Law Institute is home to the editorial office of the Ocean Yearbook. The Ocean Yearbook is a major international interdisciplinary annual, devoted to ocean affairs, published in collaboration with the International Ocean Institute (IOI) in Malta. MELP law students have the chance to gain experience working as research assistants on the Institute’s research projects and workshops and assisting with editing the Ocean Yearbook.
MELAW supports student collaboration in addressing environmental issues through the Environmental Law Students’ Society (ELSS) and the East Coast Environmental Law Association (ECEL), a non-governmental organization dedicated to environmental law education, law reform, and community support. MELAW encourages interdisciplinary collaborations within the Dalhousie University community including the School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES), the Marine Affairs Program (MAP), the College of Sustainability (COS), the International Development Studies Program (IDS), the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) led by the Department of Oceanography and the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE). MELAW also participates in national collaborations such as, the OceanCanada Partnership. International linkages include: the Global Forum on Oceans, the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, the Australia Canada Ocean Research Network (ACORN) as well as numerous other partner institutions in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, Africa, and the United States.