Danielle McNabb is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Brock University.

Danielle McNabb’s research sits at the intersection of law and politics, and criminal justice policy and administration. A central part of her work in public law examines how and why political actors rely on the courts to resolve issues of politics and public policy. Her current book project explores the role of interveners in Canada’s highest Court. Focusing specifically on cases involving the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, her research illustrates how intervener participation at the SCC simultaneously poses challenges and opportunities for Canadian democracy.

Dr. McNabb’s work on criminal justice primarily examines policing and police oversight as well as political and legal responses to sexual violence. She is currently leading two SSHRC-funded projects in this area.

Her work has appeared in the Canadian Journal of Political Science, Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Policing & Society, Review of Constitutional Studies, Women & Criminal Justice, Canadian Public Administration, among other venues.

Before joining Brock University, she completed a Ph.D. in Political Studies at Queen’s University, and a M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy at the University of Guelph.

Grants

Publications

SSHRC Insight Grant (Principal Investigator) “How do Canadian civilian oversight agencies respond to police sexual violence?” (Co-I: Dr. Kate Puddister):

With a focus on the civilian police oversight system, this five-year project (2025-2030) will seek to better understand the challenges that animate the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of police-involved sexual violence.

SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Principal Investigator) “‘An unspeakable breach of trust’: Police-perpetrated gender-based violence in Ontario” (Co-I: Dr. Kate Puddister):

This project will provide a rich, empirical picture of police gender-based violence (PGBV) in Ontario, including key trends relating to victims, perpetrators, and the broader context underlying these incidents. This project will also develop a systematic account of how overlapping systems of oversight in Ontario (media, courts, and police services themselves) work and relate to one another to address PGBV.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

  • McNabb, Danielle. (Forthcoming). “The History and Administration of Third-Party Interventions at the Supreme Court of Canada.” Canadian Public Administration.

  • Dell, Brendan and Danielle McNabb. (2025). “Government Interventions in Constitutional Cases at the Supreme Court of Canada.” Canadian Journal of Political Science: 1-8. Available on FirstView.

  • McNabb, Danielle and Shauna Hughey. (2025). “Where Have the Women Gone? An Exploratory Study of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund’s Shifting Advocacy.” Canadian Journal of Political Science: 1–18. Available on FirstView.

  • McNabb, Danielle and Minh Do. (2025). “Interveners’ Ideas as Influence: Revisiting Ktunaxa Nation.” Dalhousie Law Journal, 48(1): 1–31.

  • McNabb, Danielle, and Kate Puddister. (2024): To Serve and Protect? “An Empirical Study of Police-Involved Sexual Assault.” Women & Criminal Justice 34(2): 149-170

  • Puddister, Kate, and Danielle McNabb. (2024). Police oversight in practice: the Special Investigations Unit and civilian police oversight in Ontario, Canada. Policing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2024.2339364

  • Chouinard, Stéphanie and Danielle McNabb. (2024). Can equity-seeking groups become “haves” in Canada’s judicial system? A study of Francophone minority communities’ strategic intervention in the domain of language rights. Review of Constitutional Studies.

  • McNabb, Danielle. (2023). Who Intervenes in Supreme Court Cases in Canada?” Canadian Journal of Political Science, 56(3), pp. 715-728. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000842392300046X

  • Dauda, Carol L. and Danielle McNabb. (2022). Getting to Proportionality: the trouble with sentencing for possession of child pornography in Ontario. Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice, Vol. 37, pp. 278-311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22329/wyaj.v37i1.7198

  • McNabb, Danielle, and Dennis Baker. (2021). Ignoring Implementation: Defects in Canada’s “Rape Shield” Policy Cycle. Canadian Journal of Law and Society, 36 (1), pp. 23-46. doi:10.1017/cls.2020.35

  • Puddister, Kate, and Danielle McNabb. (2021). When the Police Break the Law: The Investigation, Prosecution and Sentencing of Ontario Police Officers. Canadian Journal of Law and Society, 1-24, doi:10.1017/cls.2021.3

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

  • Small, Tamara A. and Danielle McNabb. (2023). “‘It’s Kinda Complicated’ The Uncertain Relationship between Digital Technology and Democracy.” In Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics, 6th Edition. Edited by Janine Brodie, Sandra Rein, and Malinda S. Smith. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Hausegger, Lori, McNabb, Danielle, and Troy Riddell. (2022). “The Provincial Courts of Appeal and Section 24(2) of the Charter.” In Constitutional Crossroads: Reflections on Charter Rights, Reconciliation, and Change. Edited by Emmett Macfarlane and Kate Puddister. UBC Press.

Media Articles and Op-eds

Other Knowledge Mobilization

  • Invited Guest Speaker (NewsTalk). “Civilian Oversight of Police Sexual Violence” (11 July 2025).  610 CKTB The Drive with Matt Holmes.

  • Invited Commentator – “Killing of Hamilton man Erixon Kabera raises questions about policing and oversight” (Aura Carreño Rosas). 2025. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/erixon-kabera-siu-decision-1.7567039

  • Invited Guest Speaker (CBC Radio One) – “How police are penalized for sexual misconduct” (13 May 2025). https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-91-the-early-edition/clip/16146002-how-police-penalized-sexual-misconduct

  • Invited Commentator – “Head of B.C. police watchdog wants agency to investigate sexual assault allegations” (Yasmine Ghania and Akshay Kulkarni). 2025. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/police-watchdog-sexual-assault-allegations-1.7528198

  • Invited Guest Speaker (CTV Calgary)- “CPS officer fired from force after sex assault at Calgary strip club” (04 March 2025). https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/cps-officer-fired-from-force-after-sex-assault-at-calgary-strip-club/

  • Invited Guest Speaker (CBC Radio One)- “Advocates want changes to police investigating police gender-based violence accusations” (14 May 2024)

  • Invited Commentator- “Advocates want changes to police investigating police gender-based violence accusations” (Julie Ireton). 2024. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/alternative-investigate-police-gender-based-violence-cases-1.7198983

  • Invited Guest Speaker (CBC Radio One)- “'Blue wall of silence' protects police officers accused of gender-based violence, victims say” (24 April 2024).

  • Invited Commentator – “'Blue wall of silence' protects police officers accused of gender-based violence, victims say” (Julie Ireton). 2024. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/paid-to-stay-home-one-third-officers-accused-gender-based-violence-1.7181385

  • Invited Guest Speaker (CBS Radio)- “Police-Involved Sexual Assault” (13 December 2022). 630 CHED Edmonton.

  • Invited Commentator- “Data shows recent sexual assault conviction of N.L. police officer not the norm” (Sarah Smellie). 2021. The Canadian Press. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/snelgrove-conviction-sexual-assault-data-1.6030117 (Published in CBC News, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Yahoo News, CTV News, L’actualité).

  • Invited Commentator- “Researchers tracked nearly 150 charges against Ontario police officers since 2005. Most ended in acquittal or withdrawn charges” (Wendy Gillis). 2021. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/03/16/researchers-tracked-nearly-150-charges-against-ontario-police-officers-since-2005-most-ended-in-acquittal-or-withdrawn-charges.html