Professor Peter Sankoff

Peter Sankoff has a long and distinguished career as a teacher, researcher and advocate. He has spent the past 20+ years conducting research and teaching students about the law of evidence, the substantive criminal law, the criminal trial process and the relationship between animals and the law. He is the recipient of numerous awards, as set out below.

Peter graduated from the University of Toronto in 1996 and then worked as a law clerk to Madame Justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé at the Supreme Court of Canada. After time working on a Master’s Degree at Osgoode Hall Law School under the supervision of Professor Jamie Cameron, he joined the Department of Justice in Ottawa, working in the human rights law section on constitutional and criminal issues.

In 2001, Peter left Canada to teach law at the University of Auckland. He taught there from 2001-2010 and began an extensive period of writing and teaching as a visiting professor at universities in Australia, Israel, Japan and the USA. Peter returned to Canada in 2012, joining the University of Alberta, where is he is now a full Professor.

Peter is a prolific writer and researcher, having written, co-authored or co-edited eight law books and more than fifty law articles, many of which have appeared in some of the world’s most distinguished legal journals. In addition to his work as a teacher and researcher, Peter is an advocate with a long history of working on behalf of non-human animals. He was a co-founder of the Animal Rights Legal Advocacy Network (ARLAN) in New Zealand in 2001, and a long time member of the Board of Directors for Animal Justice in Canada. In 2015, on behalf of that organization, Peter acted as Counsel to argue Canada’s first-ever animal advocacy case at the Supreme Court of Canada (R v DLW). In 2021, he represented Animal Justice in the landmark sentencing decision of the Alberta Court of Appeal – R v Chen.

In 2020, with the COVID 19 pandemic Peter founded and launched the 100 Interns Project, supporting this charitable endeavour by providing online seminars for criminal defence lawyers. This eventually morphed into Criminal Defence Essentials, which now provides a variety of resources for the busy criminal trial lawyer.

From 2017 till early 2022, Peter worked part time as an appellate litigator at Bottos Law Group before starting his own law firm Sankoff Criminal Law. He regularly appears at the Alberta Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.

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PROFESSOR PETER SANKOFF

BA (Concordia),
JD (Toronto),
LLM (Osgoode)

Work History

2012 - Present

PROFESSOR, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta, Canada

2001 - 2010

SENIOR LECTURER, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, New Zealand

1998 - 2000

LEGAL COUNSEL, Human Rights Law Section, Department of Justice, Canada

1996 - 1997

LAW CLERK, Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, Supreme Court, Canada

Awards and Nominations

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Best Podcast (Translating Criminal Law: Rated G )

Clawbies - Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2021

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Hon. Tevie H. Miller Teaching Excellence Award

Teaching Excellence, 2021

Galecup

Gale Cup Winner (Coach)

Gale Cup Moot Competition, Toronto, 2020

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Best Innovative Project

Clawbies - Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2020

canadian lawyer

Top 25 Most Influential 2020 (Winner) - #100interns project

Canadian Lawyer Magazine, (Criminal/Human Rights), 2020

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Best Niche Podcast

Clawbies - Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2019

Galecup

Commonwealth Winner (Coach)

Commonwealth Winner (Coach)

canadian lawyer

Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada (Nominee)

Canadian Lawyer Magazine, (Criminal/Human Rights), 2019

Galecup

Gale Cup Winner (Coach)

Gale Cup Moot Competition, Toronto, 2019

ClawbiesLogo

Best Video Law Blog

Clawbies - Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2018

canadian lawyer

Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada (Nominee)

Canadian Lawyer Magazine, (Criminal/Human Rights), 2018

Galecup

Gale Cup Winner (Coach)

Gale Cup Moot Competition, Toronto, 2018

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Best Video Blog

Clawbies - Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2016

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Brightspace Innovation Award for Teaching and Learning

Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2016

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Tevie Miller Award for Teaching Excellence (Finalist)

University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, 2016

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Best Law Professor Blog (Finalist)

Clawbies – Canadian Law Blog Awards, 2015

canadian lawyer

Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada (Nominee)

Canadian Lawyer Magazine, (Criminal/Human Rights), 2015

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Information Technology Innovation Award

University of Alberta, 2014

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Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund Grant

University of Alberta, 2013

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Animal Law Visiting Scholar Award

University of Sydney, Australia, 2013

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University’s Student Council Teaching Honour Roll

University of Western Ontario, 2011

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Assisi Award

(awarded for excellence in animal welfare achievements) New Zealand Companion Animal Council, 2008

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Special Commendation for Innovation

(Pasifika Honours Club) Equal Opportunities Office, University of Auckland, 2007

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Animal law book and workshop grant

(A$15,000) Voiceless, Australia, 2007

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Early Career Research Excellence Award

University of Auckland, 2006

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Best Lecturer (2nd place)

AULSS Annual Leaver’s Survey, Verbatim, Australia, 2006

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Best Lecturer

Auckland Law Student Society, Elective Survey, 2005

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Best Lecturer

AULSS Annual Leaver’s Survey, Verbatim, Australia, 2005

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