Jay Ramasubramanyam is an Assistant Professor (Teaching) in the Law & Society Program at York University, Toronto. He holds a B.A. in Criminology from Victoria University of Wellington, an LL.M. in International Human Rights from Birmingham City University, and a Ph.D. in Law and Legal Studies (with a specialization in Political Economy) from Carleton University.

His research and teaching focus on forced migration, international refugee law, statelessness, Third World approaches to international law (TWAIL), human rights, race and racialization, postcolonial theory, and South Asian studies. His work critically engages with questions of power, norm production, and the politics of knowledge in global legal and policy regimes.

Jay’s scholarship has appeared in the Journal of Refugee Studies, Asian Yearbook of International Law and The Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law. He previously taught at Carleton University, where he received the Contract Instructor Teaching Award in 2021. He has held visiting positions at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C., and the Andrew and Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law in Sydney, Australia.

His current research project offers a historical evaluation of India’s role in shaping ‘third-world solidarity’ through archival research, with a focus on its relationship with Palestine. The project examines how India’s postcolonial commitment to global solidarity has shifted in response to changing geopolitical alliances—particularly its growing alignment with Zionism and Western powers—and what this means for the future of solidarity with oppressed peoples.

Research Interests

Upcoming Courses

Term	Course Number	Section	Title	Type
Fall/Winter 2025	AP/SOSC2351 6.0	A	Human Rights in a Social-Legal Context	BLEN
Fall/Winter 2025	AP/SOSC3391 6.0	A	Social Diversity and the Law	SEMR

Jay Ramasubramanyam is an Assistant Professor (Teaching) in the Law & Society Program at York University, Toronto. He holds a B.A. in Criminology from Victoria University of Wellington, an LL.M. in International Human Rights from Birmingham City University, and a Ph.D. in Law and Legal Studies (with a specialization in Political Economy) from Carleton University.

His research and teaching focus on forced migration, international refugee law, statelessness, Third World approaches to international law (TWAIL), human rights, race and racialization, postcolonial theory, and South Asian studies. His work critically engages with questions of power, norm production, and the politics of knowledge in global legal and policy regimes.

Jay’s scholarship has appeared in the Journal of Refugee Studies, Asian Yearbook of International Law and The Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law. He previously taught at Carleton University, where he received the Contract Instructor Teaching Award in 2021. He has held visiting positions at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C., and the Andrew and Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law in Sydney, Australia.

His current research project offers a historical evaluation of India’s role in shaping ‘third-world solidarity’ through archival research, with a focus on its relationship with Palestine. The project examines how India’s postcolonial commitment to global solidarity has shifted in response to changing geopolitical alliances—particularly its growing alignment with Zionism and Western powers—and what this means for the future of solidarity with oppressed peoples.

Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy (Legal Studies and Political Economy), Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Master of Law (International Human Rights) , Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Postgraduate Diploma, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Arts (Criminology), Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Professional Leadership

Program Coordinator, Law & Society.

Research Interests

Upcoming Courses

Term	Course Number	Section	Title	Type
Fall/Winter 2025	AP/SOSC2351 6.0	A	Human Rights in a Social-Legal Context	BLEN
Fall/Winter 2025	AP/SOSC3391 6.0	A	Social Diversity and the Law	SEMR