Benjamin Goold

Where did you do your undergrad? Law school? Other degrees?

Undergrad degrees in law and economics from the University of Tasmania. Masters and Doctorate from the University of Oxford.

When did you come to UBC?

January 2010

What courses will you be teaching at Allard in 2018-2019?

Law 221 (Criminal Law) and Law 300 (Jurisprudence and Critical Perspectives)

What are your research interests?

My work to date has mostly been focused on privacy, security, and state surveillance. I am currently working on a project looking at whether Canada and the US are fulfilling their human rights obligations and the Canada-US border.

What is your non-law dream job?

Architect

What is your favourite book or movie?

The Great Gatsby (book) and Grosse Point Blank (movie)

What is your favourite judicial decision and why?

Mabo v Queensland (No 2). The High Court of Australia finally rejected the idea of terra nullius and acknowledged that there was indigenous law prior to British colonization. The decision – which recognised indigenous land rights in Australia – came down while I was at law school, and changed the way I thought about the role of law.

What’s a UBC Campus hidden gem that more people should know about?

The Nitobe Garden. Especially beautiful in mid-fall…

Anything else?

I used to live in rural Japan and can still speak Japanese (although it gets rustier every year).