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Team Member

Cate Belbin

Research Fellow

Cate is an international lawyer and legal researcher, with a particular passion for the Canadian Arctic and the Law of the Sea. She received my Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario; her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia; and her Master of Laws (‘LLM’) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She was called to the Ontario Bar on Korean War Veterans Day (July 27th, 2023) and is a current member of the Law Society of Ontario. She had the privilege of participating in the NATO Field School, held out of Simon Fraser University. This program brought students to seven NATO member States in Europe, and students had the privilege to learn more about the NATO Alliance and how Canada operates within this Alliance. Cate completed a legal internship at the Law Branch of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (‘CCDCOE’) in Tallinn, Estonia from September 2023 until December 2023 and she was responsible for legal research in international law specifically as it pertains to the cyber domain. Cate is currently a PhD candidate at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, and her research is focused upon the legal implication of foreign dual-purpose/use marine scientific research, with specific reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (‘UNCLOS‘) in Canadian Arctic waters. For her LLM thesis, Cate focused specifically on supporting Canada’s legal claims to the Arctic, whilst specifically looking at China’s maritime activities. With increased foreign actor presence in the region, as well as projections for increased navigation through the Northwest Passage, Canada is on the forefront for Arctic security and defence. Cate’s career aspirations are to be a Legal Officer at the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the Canadian Armed Forces and hopes to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy. Cate’s favourite ships in the RCN fleet are Canada’s newest ships, the Arctic and Offshore Vessels. HMCS Harry DeWolf (AOPV 430) is Cate’s personal favourite, as she is a symbolic representation for the support of Canadian Arctic sovereignty (and the first AOPV). Cate recently returned from an Arctic Field School, which was held in Alaska and the Yukon, and had the adventure of a lifetime.