Professor Preston Jordan Lim earned the 2026 Canadian Association for Legal Ethics Best Paper Award for a study examining judicial diplomacy, law.queensu.ca reported.
The honor recognizes outstanding scholarship by emerging writers in the field of legal ethics.
Judicial diplomacy describes the external activities of judges and courts, but the concept lacks a clear definition. Previous scholarship offered conflicting interpretations, with some experts focusing exclusively on out-of-court activities while others incorporated dispute resolution mechanisms.
“Without a clear definition of judicial diplomacy, it has been difficult to understand the full range of these activities and why they matter,” Lim said, according to law.queensu.ca.
His paper, titled Judicial Diplomacy, proposes an overarching definition to address this gap. Lim argues that the term encompasses how judges represent their courts or jurisdictions in engagements with external audiences.
The research challenges the common assumption that judicial diplomacy operates primarily as an international phenomenon. Lim demonstrates that these engagements occur frequently within domestic contexts, particularly inside federations.
Beyond definitions, the paper evaluates the benefits and risks tied to judicial outreach. Judicial engagement can strengthen a jurisdiction’s reputation, build soft power, and foster cross-system relationships, according to the findings.
The study also warns that judges must avoid invading the executive branch’s domain. As scrutiny grows in certain jurisdictions, Lim argues that courts must be prepared to justify the value of these activities.
“Judges should engage in some form of cost-benefit analysis before embarking upon judicial diplomacy,” Lim said, law.queensu.ca reported.
Lim received his award in October at the association’s annual conference held at Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Canadian Association for Legal Ethics presented the award at its annual conference hosted at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Lim received the Best Paper Award in October.
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