William Lahey

William Lahey is an Associate Professor of Law at Dalhousie University, as well as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of King’s College. He also contributes to teaching in the Faculty of Health Professions, the Faculty of Medicine and Dalhousie’s College of Sustainability. Prior to obtaining his Master of Laws and Certificate of Foreign Accreditation from the University of Toronto, Professor Lahey received his BA from Mount Alison and his BA (Juris) from the University of Oxford. His research topics include health law and policy, health care regulation, environmental regulation and law, energy law, and administrative and constitutional law.

 

William Lahey joined the faculty in 2001.  He clerked for Mr. Justice La Forest of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1989-90 and then practiced with the Halifax firm of McInnes, Cooper & Robertson and later with the NS Department of Justice as solicitor to the Department of Labour. He then held senior administrative positions in the NS Department of Human Resources and the NS Department of Health.  In both positions he worked extensively in public sector collective bargaining and health system restructuring.  From 2004 to 2007 he was Deputy Minister of Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment and Labour, on leave from Dalhousie Law School.  

 

Through his roles in public administration, Professor Lahey has contributed to legislative reform in many fields of Nova Scotia law including: workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety; labour relations and employment standards; health care governance and administration, professional regulation, public health and safety; environmental protection and sustainable development; and energy and natural resources law. He has also advised on or directed the administration of legislation in many of these as well as in other fields of law.

 

Professor Lahey’s research and continuing work in public policy deal broadly with questions about law’s role in regulating the work of public administration and as an instrument of public administration in multiple fields of public policy, including health, professional conduct, environment, energy and natural resources.  It builds on his collaborations with colleagues in multiple disciplines, including law, health policy and services research, nursing, medicine, health administration, ethics, economics, political science, and sustainability research.    

 

Professor Lahey is cross-appointed to the School of Health Administration in the Faculty of Health Professions at Dalhousie University.  He is Chair of the Board of Directors of Efficiency Nova Scotia, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs.  He leads the organizing committee for the Dialogues on Faith and Public Policy of the Segelberg Trust. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Autism Nova Scotia.

 

In 2019, President Lahey received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration and in 2022, the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal for contributions to education.

Schulich School of Law

Weldon Law Building

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PO Box 15000

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2