An Inside Account of a Very Canadian Revolution
Year: 2014
Type: preprint
Abstract: In this book review, posted in November 2014 on H-Law (H-Net Reviews in the Humanities & Social Sciences), Professor Wildenthal reviews Barry L. Strayer's 2013 book, Canada's Constitutional Revolution (University of Alberta Press). Judge Strayer wrote his book mainly as an inside account of the process leading up to Canada's patriation of its national constitution from the United Kingdom in 1982. Strayer also touches on various related aspects of his distinguished career as a law professor, provincial and federal government attorney (he became a top member of Prime Minister Trudeau's legal team), and Canadian federal judge.This review praises the erudition and lively, entertaining style of Strayer's book, which makes an important contribution to understanding Canada's constitutional history and specifically, the origins and importance of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms adopted in 1982.Strayer recounts some fascinating history, for example, about the battle to include some protections for aboriginal (i.e., indigenous, Native, First Nations) rights in the Canadian Constitution.Among other points, though somewhat aside from the main theme of the book, the review praises the interest and relevance for Americans of Strayer's recounting of the episode (early in his career) by which his native province, Saskatchewan, adopted universal public health insurance during the 1960s, leading to the national adoption of Canada's famous single-payer public health insurance system.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Bryan H. Wildenthal
Institution: Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W36289054