Dr. Jennifer Tunnicliffe

Biography

Jennifer Tunnicliffe is a human rights historian with a particular interest in how domestic and transnational activism shapes cultural attitudes and legislative approaches to rights and freedoms. Her work has been published in notable journals such as the Canadian Historical Review and Social History / Histoire Sociale, as well as on the ActiveHistory blog. She has contributed to the Champlain Society’s “Witness Yesterday” podcast and has conducted research for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Centre for International Governance. Her book, 'Resisting Rights: Canada and the International Bill of Rights, 1947-76' (UBC Press, 2019), challenges the narrative of Canada as a historic advocate of international human rights and explores the key role that rights activists have played in shaping Canadian diplomacy at the United Nations. Tunnicliffe is also the co-editor of 'Constant Struggle: Histories of Canadian Democratization,' which is currently under review at McGill-Queen’s University Press. This collection examines the historical realities that have shaped the understanding and practice of democracy in Canadian history. Her current book project, 'Drawing the Line: Free Speech Regulation and Hate in Canadian History,' investigates the evolution of Canada’s hate speech laws within a human rights framework, situating Canadian policy in a global context. Before joining Toronto Metropolitan University, she was an Assistant Professor at King’s University College at Western University and held a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Waterloo.

Research Interests