The Centre for Family Justice Research is an independent Canadian research institution committed to ensuring that family law and policy reflect the full diversity of the families they affect.
Family law in Canada was built around a narrow set of assumptions — assumptions about who forms families, how they function, and what support they need. Those assumptions have calcified into legislation, policy, and institutional practice.
The Centre for Family Justice Research works to change that. We bring together social scientific research and legal frameworks to produce evidence that is credible, community-grounded, and actionable. We translate that evidence into policy-facing outputs designed to reach those in a position to act on them.
Our independence ensures our findings are held to the highest standards of rigour — credible to governments, funders, practitioners, and communities alike. Our commitment to equity means we centre the voices of those most affected. And our commitment to impact means we do not treat publication as an endpoint.
“Good research should do more than inform. It should drive change and remain openly accessible to the families and communities it impacts most.”
Arm's-length from any single interest, institutional or otherwise. Our lines of inquiry are determined by evidence and by the communities our research serves.
The highest standards of research excellence — credible and built to withstand scrutiny.
Centring the voices of those most affected by family law. Justice must be accessible to all.
Lasting change is built through partnership with researchers, practitioners, and communities.
Research only fulfils its purpose when it reaches beyond academia. We translate findings into real, tangible improvements for Canadian families.
Dr. Pedrom Nasiri is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Family Justice Research. Their work sits at the intersection of legal analysis, sociological research, and policy advocacy — a combination of disciplinary expertise that is unusual in Canadian family justice scholarship.
Their doctoral research focuses on queer and non-monogamous families, examining how institutional structures shape lived family experience and what legal reform is needed to close those gaps. As an incoming JD candidate at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, their research bridges the social scientific and legal registers that effective policy change requires.
Recent work includes a research report on the social resilience of polyamorous families in Canada, a policy report on intimate partner violence in queer non/monogamous families, and the development of Chosen: Canadian Queer Kinship Stories.