Held every two years, the CCIL Scholarly Book Award celebrates Canadian-authored books that make a substantial contribution to the field of international law. This year’s committee highlighted the originality and depth of Professor Alschner’s book, Investment Arbitration and State-Driven Reform (Oxford University Press, 2022), which uses empirical and computational methods to critically examine how new investment treaties, designed to balance investor rights with host state regulatory autonomy, are often reinterpreted through traditional arbitral approaches. Through rigorous analysis and innovative datasets, the book offers a timely critique of the arbitral backlash against state-driven reform, and proposes practical strategies for modernizing treaty interpretation and renegotiation.
Professor Alschner is an Associate Professor in the Common Law Section, with a cross-appointment to the Faculty of Engineering. He holds the Hyman Soloway Chair in Business and Trade Law, is a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and leads the uOttawa Legal Technology Lab.
The Common Law Section also extends its congratulations to Professor Neil Craik (University of Waterloo), who, along with Dr. Tara Davenport (National University of Singapore) and Ruth Mackenzie (University of Westminster), were named as winners of the 2024 CCIL Scholarly Book Award for their co-authored book Liability for Environmental Harm to the Global Commons (Cambridge University Press, 2023). Their work makes a significant contribution to global environmental law, particularly in the context of emerging challenges such as deep seabed mining and climate governance.
Professor Alschner’s recognition reflects the excellence and impact of Canadian legal scholarship on the international stage and underscores the University of Ottawa’s leadership in global legal research.
Most recently, Professor Alschner has authored an article for The Conversation entitled “U.S. tariffs are about to trigger the greatest trade diversion the world has ever seen”, which explores the ripple effects of Donald Trump’s tariffs, including the long-term threats they pose to global trade rules and international cooperation. This article has become the most widely read post on The Conversation by any researcher from uOttawa.