Erich P. Schellhammer is the Program Head of the BA in Justice Studies at Royal Roads University. The Justice Studies program is a third and fourth year degree completion program intended to provide the knowledge and skills base needed for justice service work in Canada and abroad.

Dr. Schellhammer was instrumental in developing the Justice Studies program and he has been the academic supervisor of the program since its inception in 2002. He takes great pride in constantly improving the overall quality of the program. The program is learner focused and emphasizes four disciplines: law, philosophy, sociology, and social work.

Dr. Schellhammer has a law degree from Germany and philosophy degrees from Queen’s University, Canada. He is primarily interested in developing the concept of human dignity that he perceives to be the key for considerations of justice.

In his research work he is fascinated by the phenomenological tradition and by ontology. He argues that we can derive fundamental principles of justice from a reflection of structural components that cannot be bracketed to explain a person’s identity. One of his findings is the need to acknowledge diversity. The human condition is constructed to allow for a myriad of life worlds. Consequently, he urges to appreciate diversity as the true wealth of humanity. He also believes that this philosophical insight allows the perception of a meta-perspective within our situations and its definite truth claim with regards it its values, customs and habits. It is a perspective that he hopes can contribute to a peaceful being-with of individuals and cultures holding different world views.