The Queen’s community is remembering Alvin Cheung, a professor in the Faculty of Law who died on July 29 at the age of 38.

A scholar of authoritarianism and the rule of law, Dr. Cheung joined Queen’s Faculty of Law as a Sessional Instructor in Spring 2020, and has since been an integral part of the faculty, and the broader law school community.

“Alvin was a brilliant scholar with an unwavering commitment to human rights and a deep love for Hong Kong. His intelligence, integrity, and kindness inspired his students and his colleagues,” says Collen Flood, Dean of the Faculty of Law. “Though his journey with us has ended too soon, the path he forged remains a guiding light for our community. He will be deeply missed, and his legacy will endure.”

Prior to his time at Queen’s Dr. Cheung worked as a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University Faculty of Law and a Non-Resident Affiliated Scholar at New York University’s U.S.-Asia Law Institute. He began his career as a barrister in Sir Oswald Cheung’s Chambers in Hong Kong and lectured at Hong Kong Baptist University in its Master of Public Administration program. He was recognized for his unwavering dedication to his students and his passion for teaching public and comparative law topics. His research, particularly on the relationship between law and authoritarianism, has been influential and widely cited.

He earned degrees from NYU (JSD, 2020; LL.M. International Legal Studies, 2014) and Cambridge (LLB, 2007; MA, 2011 (Cantab.).

As a Canadian Hong Konger, Dr. Cheung warned and wrote tirelessly about the loss of legal and civil rights in the former British colony, writing for the public as well as academic audiences. He did not see Hong Kong’s position as unique, and his recent work highlighted dangers for other common law systems amid a global rise in authoritarianism. He believed it vital that Canadians confront the ways their own law can be and has been used to harm disfavoured groups.

He is survived by his wife, Faculty of Law Professor Alyssa King, and their two children.

A family obituary, which details his research and achievements, is available online.

Support resources

For students impacted by this loss, support resources are available:

• Students in Ontario can call 613-533-2506, 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, to schedule an appointment with the counselling team at Student Wellness Services (SWS) or drop in to SWS’s weekday afternoon mental health clinic (1-4 p.m.).
• 24/7, students can call Good2Talk, at 1-866-925-5454 or text GOOD2TALKON to 686868, or contact crisis support and counselling through Empower Me.
• Faith and Spiritual Life offers multi-faith, non-judgmental support at chaplain@queensu.ca.