Michael Pratt

Michael Pratt

Associate Professor (Law)

Law, Philosophy

m.pratt@queensu.ca

613-533-6000 x78599

Mackintosh-Corry Hall C522A

People Directory Affiliation Category
Education
  • BSc, LLM, Toronto
  • LLB, Osgoode
  • PhD, Sydney
Specializations

Philosophy of Law, Theories of Private Law, Moral Philosophy

Personal Webpage, Faculty of Law

About

Michael Pratt is an Associate Professor of Law, cross-appointed to Philosophy, at Queen’s University. He studied at the University of Toronto, where he earned his BSc and, following an LLB from Osgoode, his LLM. He later obtained a PhD in Philosophy at the University of Sydney. Professor Pratt joined Queen’s Law in 2003, having previously taught at the University of Queensland and the University of Alberta. He served as Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research in 2015 and 2016. Professor Pratt teaches a range of subjects in private law, including contracts, torts, remedies, and advanced issues in contract law.

Professor Pratt pursues research along two fronts. The first straddles the disciplines of law and philosophy, and is devoted primarily to understanding the role of intention and consent in the creation and extinction of legal and moral obligations. He has written widely on the philosophical foundations of voluntary obligations, such as those that are generated by contracts and promises. Professor Pratt also researches and writes about the law of damages. The law governing the award of damages is understudied in Canada, despite its practical importance. In his research Professor Pratt draws on the fundamental principles of private law to clarify how damages ought to be assessed in tort and breach of contract cases.

For more information about Professor Pratt's research, visit his Faculty of Law Webpage.