Constitutional Crossroads

Four decades after the adoption of the Constitution Act, 1982, Constitutional Crossroads assesses its legacy, focusing on the themes of rights, reconciliation, and constitutional change.

Kate Puddister is an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph and the author of Seeking the Court’s Advice: The Politics of the Canadian Reference Power. Emmett Macfarlane is an associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. Among his publications are Constitutional Amendment in Canada; Policy Change, Courts, and the Canadian Constitution; and Constitutional Pariah: Reference re Senate Reform and the Future of Parliament.

Contributors: Richard Albert, Gerald Baier, Stéphanie Chouinard, Brenda Cossman, Erin Crandall, Minh Do, Kerri A. Froc, Dave Guénette, Mark S. Harding, Lori Hausegger, Matthew Hennigar, Ran Hirschl, James B. Kelly, Kiera Ladner, Philippe Lagassé, Samuel V. LaSelva, Andrea Lawlor, Rebecca Major, Félix Mathieu, Andrew McDougall, Danielle McNabb, Eleni Nicolaides, Jeremy Patzer, Troy Riddell, Kent Roach, Peter H. Russell, Joshua Sealy-Harrington, Tamara A. Small, Dave Snow, Cynthia Stirbys, Mark Tushnet

Constitutional Crossroads brings together a diverse set of contributors whose perspectives on four decades of life under the Charter enrich our understanding of politics, law, and institutional dynamics. The blend of senior and emerging scholars is a notable achievement of the collection. Readers will come away from Constitutional Crossroads with answers to many important questions and, perhaps more importantly, with a sense of the questions that still need to be answered. It is a book that highly rewards the reader’s time.

Adam Dodek, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa:

This is one of the most novel and thought-provoking books on the Charter in recent years. This superb collection is fresh, interesting, and provocative.