The Charter Of Rights And The Legalization Of Politics In Canada

In 1982 Canada put a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in its constitution and dramatically changed the nature of Canadian politics by giving the courts, and especially the Supreme Court, a general superintendence over all aspects of government and by making debates about the constitution a dominant theme of Canadian political life. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his original 1989 work, Michael Mandel, Professor at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School, critically examines the history and philosophy of the phenomenon of 'legal politics' and the way it has transformed the politics of language, crime, immigration, labour, business, race and gender. A case-by-case study of the important constitutional decisions of the eighties and nineties is joined by a detailed analysis of such major constitutional events as the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord and referendum.

A critical look at the interaction of constitutional litigation and politics in Canada following the entrenchment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.

Other works have focused on the jurisprudence of the Charter - its internal coherence or its implications for the role of courts. Charting the Consequences considers 'externalities' - the effect of the Charter and its jurisprudence on non-constitutional aspects of the law and on the dynamics of legislative power, provincial politics, and social movements.

Andrew Petter is a leading constitutional scholar who served from 1991 to 2001 as a British Columbia MLA and cabinet minister, including Attorney General. In The Politics of the Charter, Petter assembles a set of his original essays written over three decades to provide a coherent critique of the political nature, impact, and legitimacy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Showing how Charter rights have been shaped by the institutional character of the courts and by the ideological demands of liberal legalism, the essays contend that the Charter has diverted progressive political energies and facilitated the rise of neo-conservatism in Canada. Drawing upon his constitutional expertise and political experience, Petter evaluates the Charter in practical, legal, and philosophical terms. These essays, along with a new introduction and conclusion, map out Petter's political philosophy and review the entirety of the Charter record. The Politics of the Charter is vividly written, free of legal jargon, accessible to a broad readership, and will provoke renewed discussion about how best to achieve a more compassionate and egalitarian Canadian society.

The introduction of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 was accompanied by much fanfare and public debate. This book does not celebrate the Charter; rather it offers a critique by distinguished scholars of law and political science of its effect on democracy, judicial power, and the place of Quebec and Aboriginal peoples twenty-five years later. By employing diverse methodological approaches, contributors shift the focus of debate from the Charter’s appropriateness to its impact – for better or worse – on political institutions, public policy, and conceptions of citizenship in the Canadian federation.

The Canadian constitutional reforms of 1982, which included a Charter of Rights and Freedoms analogous to the American Bill of Rights, brought about a convergence with American constitutional law. As in the U.S., Canadian courts have shown themselves highly protective of individual rights, and they have not been shy about assuming a leading and sometimes controversial political role in striking down legislation. In clear and easy-to-understand language, the contributors not only chart, but also explore, the reasons for areas of similarity and difference in the constitutional politics of Canada and the United States.

In Governing with the Charter, James Kelly clearly demonstrates that our current democratic deficit is not the result of the Supreme Court’s judicial activism. On the contrary, an activist framers’ intent surrounds the Charter, and the Supreme Court has simply, and appropriately, responded to this new constitutional environment. While the Supreme Court is admittedly a political actor, it is not the sole interpreter of the Charter, as the court, the cabinet, and bureaucracy all respond to the document, which has ensured the proper functioning of constitutional supremacy in Canada. Kelly analyzes the parliamentary hearings on the Charter and also draws from interviews with public servants, senators, and members of parliament actively involved in appraising legislation to ensure that it is consistent with the Charter. He concludes that the principal institutional outcome of the Charter has been a marginalization of Parliament and that this is due to the Prime Minister’s decision on how to govern with the Charter.