Past Events
Albie Sachs: The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law
January 15, 2010
Should a judge be an instrument of pure, detached reason, or a person imbued with human empathy? Albie Sachs, appointed by Nelson Mandela to South Africa’s first Constitutional Court, which has heard landmark cases dealing with terrorism and torture, social and economic rights, the truth commission, and same sex marriages, argued that reason and passion are inextricably linked in the judicial function. The talk offered a unique insight into the judicial philosophy of one of the world's most prominent constitutional judges, recounted in Sachs' recent book The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law (OUP, 2009). The talk was followed by a reception.
The Charter Rights of Canadian Citizens Abroad
November 24, 2009
Our distinguished panel of practitioners and academics discussed the rights of Canadian citizens abroad. Some of the complex issues that were addressed during the lunchtime workshop include the government's duty to protect citizens from harm, the extraterritorial application of the Charter post Hape and Khadr and the implications of anti-terrorist measures that involve information sharing with other governments.
Symposium: The Role of Interveners in Public Interest Litigation
November 6, 2009
Public interest litigation can have a significant impact on public policy in Canada. Although Charter and other public interest litigation is most often commenced by individual claimants who are challenging laws that affect them individually, the test case litigant is often supported or opposed by powerful interveners such as governments and advocacy organizations representing groups in society seeking to be heard on the significant human rights issues of the day. The role that all of these interveners play in court and in the public discourse surrounding these cases is the subject of this one day symposium.
Read the Conference Materials
Watch the Webcast:
9:00: Welcome and Introduction &
9:15: Canadian Intervener Case Studies
10:30: Judges’ Panel
11:30: Research Presentation
1:15: International and Transnational Experiences
2:30: Strategies for Marginalized Groups
3:30: Government Interveners
Exclusion of Evidence Under s. 24(2): The Supreme Court Decisions of the Summer of 2009
On July 17, 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its long awaited decisions in R. v. Grant, R. v. Harrison, R. v. Shepherd and R. v. Suberu clarifying the law in respect of the exclusion of evidence under s.24(2) of the Charter. Panelists Prof. Hamish Stewart, Prof. Martha Shaffer, Jonathan Dawe and Rick Visca discussed the implications.
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Watch the webcast
Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis: The Dilemmas, Choices and Future of Parliamentary Government in Canada Book Launch
April 21, 2009
Our distinguished panelists discussed the future of Canada's democracy: lessons learned and where to we go from here. This is the third in our series on the topic and celebrates the book that came out of our December 5th event on the Governor General's decision to prorogue Parliament. The discussion was followed by a wine and cheese reception to celebrate the publication and the accomplishments of the Asper Centre in its first year.
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Best Interests of the Child: Meaning and Application in Canada
February 27 and 28, 2009
The objective of this conference was to deepen understanding of the principle of "Best Interests of the Child", share experiences of its application, and identify good practices for implementation in Canada.
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Parliamentary Democracy and its Constitutional Foundations and Future: Beyond the Headlines
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
This follow-up to the event we held on December 5th, provides an opportunity for thoughtful analysis by leading scholars on the topic of the impact of this decision and the prospect of what might happen once the House resumes on January 26th.
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Leading legal scholars weigh in on current constitutional quandary
Friday December 5, 2008
A special panel discussion with leading constitutional scholars to discuss the Governor General's decision to prorogue Parliament.
Read more, view the webcast or read presentations on the Faculty Blog
Litigating the Charter: Strategies for a Successful Charter Claim in the 21st Century
September 5, 2008
The inaugural event of the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights was a colloquium where leading constitutional scholars and litigators discussed current challenges and possibilities in constitutional theory and practice.
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