UVic to build new National Centre for Indigenous Laws – University Affairs

A new addition to the law school at the University of Victoria will become the permanent home to the institution’s JID/JD program. The joint degree in Indigenous law and Canadian common law, which launched in 2018, is the first of its kind in the world.

With funding from both the federal and provincial governments, the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL) will meet the needs of the growing program. By the time construction on the building is complete in 2023, the program will have 100 students enrolled and counting.

“We met with local community members from the peninsula and asked people, ‘What’s important about the building that would enable you to feel welcome when you come into it?’” says Val Napoleon, director and co-founder of the JID/JD program. “We wanted it to reflect West Coast Indigenous peoples’ cultures, but also to have it inviting and open to other Indigenous cultures, because we have students from across Canada.”