Muzammil Chatha
DARE Project: Diversity in the judiciary: Examining judicial appointments through the lens of the science of recruitment and selection
Program(s) of Study: Commerce and Finance
Project Supervisor: Marie-Hélène Budworth
Through DARE I was able to hone and polish my skills as a researcher-practitioner as I was required not only to understand various points of view but find ways of engaging in different conversations on the topics of my research. Ultimately, the whole experience gave me a deeper insight into and understanding of the legal system and allowed me to solidify my goals with regards to pursuing a career in law.
Project Description:
The goals of this project are threefold. First, the project aims to contribute to the literature on diversity in recruitment and selection by examining the Canadian judiciary. This contributes to a longstanding discussion on bias in selection decisions as well as scholarship on occupational stereotypes. Second, the project aims to engage in the discussion on Canada’s judicial appointment process by offering a new lens through which to examine diversity in this context. Third, the work completed through this project will form the basis for a SSHRC Insight grant to be submitted in the spring of 2022. Rationale. In 2016, the judicial appointment process in Canada was overhauled due to widespread criticism regarding the lack of diversity on the bench. While there have been some gains made following these adjustments, there have also been places where diversity has decreased. There is still much to be understood about how the judicial appointment process both supports and undermines aims to increase representation among sitting judges. Fortunately, Human Resource Management has a history of scholarship seeking to understand the ways in which bias and discrimination affect recruitment and selection decisions. Similarly, theorists have long explored the notion of occupational stereotypes, "a preconceived attitude about a particular occupation, about people who are employed in that occupation or about one's suitability for that occupation". To date, this knowledge has not been applied to Canada’s judicial appointment process. Today, there is a timely opportunity to explore this process as, in response to demands for transparency, much of the data required has become publicly available.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) – Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.