CrimSL congratulates Professor Scot Wortley on being appointed to serve as the Acting Director of the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies during Professor Kamari Clarke’s leave January 1 - June 30, 2026!
Professor Stephen Wright, Interim Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science, made the announcement on December 12, 2025:
Professor Wortley has been a Professor at the Centre of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, University of Toronto since 1996. His academic career began in the 1990s as a researcher with the Commission on Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice System. He is now considered one of Canada’s leading criminologists. Over the past thirty years, Professor Wortley has conducted numerous studies on various issues including youth violence and victimization, street gangs, drug trafficking and substance use, the effectiveness of community crime prevention programs, crime and violence within the Caribbean, public perceptions of the police and criminal courts, police in schools, police use of force, and racial bias within the Canadian criminal justice system.
Professor Wortley has served as Research Director for several major government commissions including the Ontario Government’s Roots of Youth Violence Inquiry. In 2017, Professor Wortley worked with Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate to develop standards and guidelines for the collection and dissemination of race-based data within the public sector. Professor Wortley has led or is currently leading major investigations into possible racial bias within policing for the Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia Human Rights Commissions. He is also leading an inquiry into racial bias within the Toronto Transit Commission’s enforcement unit. Professor Wortley has published his work in a wide variety of peer-reviewed academic journals and edited volumes and has produced numerous reports for all levels of government. He is a popular educator and has given hundreds of guest lectures and keynote speeches at both domestic and international conferences.
Please join me in welcoming Professor Wortley to his new role.
Professor Kamari Clarke announced Wortley's new role in the CrimSL Commons newsletter on December 15, 2025:
Please join me in welcoming and supporting Professor Wortley in this role; I am confident that the Centre will be in excellent hands during my time away.