Evidence Re Fixed Election Date Legislation Submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution

This paper was submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution by invitation to comment on the proposed Fixed-Term Parliaments Act. It addresses only the Canadian experience … Continue Reading →

Lawyers, Guns and Money: Lawyers and Power in Canadian Society

In 1978, Warren Zevon rocketed to the top of the charts with his song “Lawyers, Guns and Money”. Lawyers have always been associated with power. This paper explores the different … Continue Reading →

Where Did (Section) I Come from? The Debates Over the Limitations Clause at the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on the Constitution, 1980-81

National Journal of Constitutional Law, Vol. 27, p. 77, 2010 This paper contends that the history of the enactment of the limitations clause contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights … Continue Reading →

The Past, Present and Future of Fixed Election Date Legislation in Canada

(2010) 4 Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law 215 This paper addresses the past, present and future of fixed election dates in Canada. It examines the motivations that led to … Continue Reading →

The Sacred Fire: The Legacy of Antonio Lamer (Chief Justice of Canada)/Le Feu Sacré : L’Héritage D’Antonio Lamer, Juge En Chef Du Canada (French)

THE SACRED FIRE: THE LEGACY OF ANTONIO LAMER (CHIEF JUSTICE OF CANADA) / LE FEU SACRÉ: L’HÉRITAGE D’ANTONIO LAMER, JUGE EN CHEF DU CANADA, Adam Dodek, & Daniel Jutras, eds., … Continue Reading →

State v. Zuma: The Future of Constitutional Democracy in South Africa

Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law, Vol. 3, No. 1, p. 121, 2009 In April 2009, Jacob Zuma led the African National Congress (ANC) to a sweeping victory in South … Continue Reading →

Chief Justice Lamer and Policy Design at the Supreme Court of Canada

Supreme Court Law Review, Vol. 36, No. 93, 2009 (2nd Series) Antonio Lamer was a remarkable figure in the annals of Canadian law. No other Supreme Court Justice bridged the … Continue Reading →

Judicial Independence as a Public Policy Instrument

CLPE Research Paper No. 10/2009 The participation of judges in commissions of inquiry has been an important part of the public policy process in Canada and elsewhere. However, the use … Continue Reading →

Judicial Independence as a Public Policy Instrument

CLPE Research Paper No. 10/2009 The participation of judges in commissions of inquiry has been an important part of the public policy process in Canada and elsewhere. However, the use … Continue Reading →

When Silence Isn’t Golden: Constitutional Conventions, Constitutional Culture, and the Governor General

PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS, Peter H. Russell, Lorne Sossin, eds., University of Toronto Press, 2009 This article is a chapter in the book Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis which is a … Continue Reading →