The Quid Novi MONTREAL, QC
MCGILL UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW - FACULTÉ DE DROIT DE L’UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL
46 02 24 SEPT 2024
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Anonimity Anomaly: Anonymous Posting at McGill is Coming at a Cost to Our Community Anna McAllister | 4L
During my time at McGill Law, I have seen the use of anonym- My more immediate concern with anonymous posting is the ity in publishing in both the Quid and in the McGill Law increase in innocuous anonymous posting. A quick scroll General Facebook group increase exponentially. through McGill General provides dozens of examples. Students asking for syllabi, recruitment and degree planning There are many valid reasons to prefer to post anonymously. guidance, course recommendations, advice on how to navigate Despite our aspirations that law school ought to be a place PubDocs and so much more make up the majority of McGill where the principle of audi alteram partem (“let the other General’s content, and most of it is published anonymously. side be heard”) is not just inscribed on the walls of our moot court but practiced in our daily interactions, this is not the As someone who has shared my internal monologue with case. Fear of retribution or social isolation for voicing an Quid readers for 3.5 years now, I have lost most of my opinion different from those of administrators, professors, or sense of shame when it comes to asking questions of my fellow students stains discussion. While this sense of unease colleagues. While potentially embarrassing at times, I feel has been identified by politically conservative students on that it is through this vulnerability that our community can university campuses for some time, the ongoing conflict in relate to one another and build a strong foundation. I have the Middle East has highlighted that those on all sides of the previously written about the power a fellow student admitting political spectrum have reason to be hesitant when attaching their shortcomings can have to someone who is engrossed their name to a publicly shared opinion. Moreover, depend- by imposter syndrome. A simple, “yeah, I didn’t get to that ing on one’s employment, it may be impossible to publicly reading last night either,” or a “this is so confusing” can go share opinions and anonymity can provide an opportunity a long way. It can be the difference between feeling alone, to nevertheless contribute to Faculty conversations. and feeling in this together. Still, I understand that sharing this vulnerability on a large scale can be intimidating. While I wish our Faculty was a place where people could freely express unpopular views, I understand that is not the I am, however, seriously concerned about the type of commucase and acknowledge the place for anonymous posting. nity we are building if something as simple as asking for an Perhaps considering what steps we can take to make this a upper year’s advice of selecting between two courses has reality warrants further reflection (a column idea for those turned into something that feels too humiliating to put one’s looking for a way to contribute to the Quid!). name to. Moreover, not only is the poster too ashamed to
CETTE SEMAINE... INSIGHTS
COMMUNAUTÉ
4 | TERRORISM AT MCGILL? YOU BE THE JUDGE 2 | BEFORE THE SAO 8 | AKON V. SENEGAL The Tale of Two Cities
3 | LAWST IN THE QUAGMIRE: WHAT ABOUT US?! \ Some of the Faculty’s Most Vulnerable Students Demand Action and Accountability
6 | RECLAIMING OUR NARRATIVE