The University of Toronto’s highly-regarded law school has announced that it will return a US$450,000 donation from Amazon. The reason for this dramatic step stems from recent criticism over a lack of transparency surrounding the source of the donation.
In a statement, law dean Jutta Brunnée said, “The Faculty of Law upheld the University’s firm commitment to academic freedom, institutional autonomy and integrity. Nonetheless, we acknowledge the important questions raised about the lack of full transparency pertaining to the gift, and the perception of external influence on our academic activities.”
The financial gift from Amazon had originally been intended to facilitate research into antitrust and competition issues. Its return came at a notable period where the Canadian government has been increasingly scrutinizing what it perceives as potentially anti-competitive conduct in the e-retail sector.
For more detailed insights, consider visiting the original article on Law.com.