Oonagh Fitzgerald
Part-time Professor
57 Louis Pasteur st.
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
K1N 6N5
oonagh.fitzgerald@uOttawa.ca
(613) 562-5794
(613) 562-5124
Dr. Oonagh Fitzgerald obtained an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University in 1977 and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1981, and has been a Member of the Ontario Bar since1983. She obtained a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa (1990), her Doctorate in Juridical Science from the University of Toronto (1994), and a Masters of Business Administration from Queen’s University (2007).
At the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, University of Ottawa, Dr. Fitzgerald teaches a seminar course on International Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility, and in the past has taught Constitutional Law and Statutory Interpretation. She has also taught Public and Social Governance at Telfer School of Administration (2009), and law courses at Carleton University Law Department, l’Institut international du droit de l’homme, in Strasbourg, and the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo.
Recent publications include two business case studies on corporate social responsibility for the UN Global Compact (Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice at Titan Industries, and Malawi Business Action Against Corruption), and editing and contributing to a collection of essays entitled,The Globalized Rule of Law: Relations between international and domestic law (Irwin Law: 2006); Règles de droit et mondialisation: rapports entre le droit international et le droit interne (Éditions Yvon Blais). In addition Oonagh Fitzgerald wrote The Guilty Plea and Summary Justice (Carswell: 1990) and Understanding Charter Remedies (Carswell: 1995) and a number of articles and conference presentations.
Since April 2007 Oonagh Fitzgerald is the Department of National Defence & Canadian Forces Legal Advisor, leading a Corporate Counsel law practice of civilian Department of Justice lawyers, military (JAG) lawyers and Department of National Defence administrative professionals.
Prior to this Oonagh served as Acting Chief Legal Counsel, Public Law Sector of the Department of Justice Canada (2004-2005), and before that was Special Advisor for International Law, Department of Justice Canada (2003). From 2000-2002 she was Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, Legislation and House Planning/Counsel, Privy Council Office, Canada. Dr. Fitzgerald has held a number of other positions in the Department of Justice: Senior General Counsel and Director General, Human Resources Development Canada Legal Services Unit (1998-2000), General Counsel and Director, International Law and Activities Section (1997-1998), Senior Counsel for Regulatory Reform (1995-1996), and Legal Adviser, Human Rights Law Section (1987-1995). Her career in the federal government began in 1983 as a Consultant at the Law Reform Commission of Canada, then as a Commerce Officer, Marketing Practices Branch, Bureau of Competition Policy (1987), and Legal Adviser at the Immigration Appeal Board (1987).
Areas of particular interest to Oonagh are issues of legitimacy in constitutional and international law, evolving relations between international and domestic law, and international corporate governance and social responsibility.