UPDATE: This seminar occurred in the past, and the seminar materials are now available. You can use the LESA Library to access course materials or purchase course materials a la carte. Alternatively, you can view the complete list of upcoming seminars to discover live programs that are available now.
Questions about the role and current status of dialogue between the government and the judiciary have been raised in recent months, as the process to replace retired Supreme Court Justice Fish was underway.
Globe and Mail Justice Writer Sean Fine brought this issue to the forefront in May with a story outlining the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s appointment of Justice Nadon of the Federal Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court in September 2013. Following the March 2014 Supreme Court decision deeming this appointment ineligible, Stephen Harper appointed Justice Gascon to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Although the federal government consulted with Quebec to develop the list of candidates leading to this appointment, further controversy ensued when the government did not follow the process of holding a public hearing allowing parliamentarians to question the appointee.
Fine’s various articles reporting on this story point to the frustration of the legal community over a lack of communication and dialogue between the judiciary and the government. This question of dialogue will also be explored at the upcoming Constitutional Law Symposium hosted by the Legal Education Society of Alberta and the Centre for Constitutional Studies. Sean Fine and the Honourable John C. (Jack) Major will take up this issue at the Symposium in what promises to be a spirited discussion. Register online now to reserve your spot at this fascinating seminar happening in Edmonton on October 3.
Visit the Globe and Mail online to read Sean Fine’s articles about this ongoing issue.
