Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions
Since 1875, Canadian courts have been permitted to act as advisors alongside their ordinary, adjudicative role. This book offers the first detailed examination of that role from a legal perspective.

When one thinks of courts, it is most often in the context of deciding cases: live disputes involving spirited, adversarial debate between opposing parties. Sometimes, though, a court is granted the power to answer questions in the absence of such disputes through advisory opinions (also called references). These proceedings raise many questions: about the judicial role, about the relationship between courts and those who seek their 'advice', and about the nature of law.

Tracking their use in Canada since the country's Confederation and looking to the experience of other legal systems, the book considers how advisory opinions draw courts into the complex relationship between law and politics.

With attention to key themes such as the separation of powers, federalism, rights and precedent, this book provides an important and timely study of a fascinating phenomenon.

1129480193
Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions
Since 1875, Canadian courts have been permitted to act as advisors alongside their ordinary, adjudicative role. This book offers the first detailed examination of that role from a legal perspective.

When one thinks of courts, it is most often in the context of deciding cases: live disputes involving spirited, adversarial debate between opposing parties. Sometimes, though, a court is granted the power to answer questions in the absence of such disputes through advisory opinions (also called references). These proceedings raise many questions: about the judicial role, about the relationship between courts and those who seek their 'advice', and about the nature of law.

Tracking their use in Canada since the country's Confederation and looking to the experience of other legal systems, the book considers how advisory opinions draw courts into the complex relationship between law and politics.

With attention to key themes such as the separation of powers, federalism, rights and precedent, this book provides an important and timely study of a fascinating phenomenon.

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Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions

Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions

by Carissima Mathen
Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions

Courts Without Cases: The Law and Politics of Advisory Opinions

by Carissima Mathen

Hardcover

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Overview

Since 1875, Canadian courts have been permitted to act as advisors alongside their ordinary, adjudicative role. This book offers the first detailed examination of that role from a legal perspective.

When one thinks of courts, it is most often in the context of deciding cases: live disputes involving spirited, adversarial debate between opposing parties. Sometimes, though, a court is granted the power to answer questions in the absence of such disputes through advisory opinions (also called references). These proceedings raise many questions: about the judicial role, about the relationship between courts and those who seek their 'advice', and about the nature of law.

Tracking their use in Canada since the country's Confederation and looking to the experience of other legal systems, the book considers how advisory opinions draw courts into the complex relationship between law and politics.

With attention to key themes such as the separation of powers, federalism, rights and precedent, this book provides an important and timely study of a fascinating phenomenon.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781509922499
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 04/18/2019
Pages: 280
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Carissima Mathen is Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Table of Cases xiii

Introduction 1

1 Courts with Cases 11

What Do Courts Do? 11

The Power, and Limits, of Cases 13

The Separation of Powers 20

Separation of Powers in Canada 26

2 Apex Courts 31

The Judicial Committee 31

'A Judicial Department in Every Well-Organized Government' 37

A Confederation 37

B Establishment 40

3 Canadian References 45

Framing the Function 45

Early Quiet, Early Reform 48

Squaring Advisory Opinions with a General Court of Appeal 50

Putting the 'Advisory' in an Advisory Function 58

4 Separate Functions - Separate Powers 61

Executive Requests and Judicial Resistance 62

The Lonely Legislature? 70

5 Arbitrating Federalism 79

Federalism Post-Confederation 79

A Treaties 79

B Disallowance 83

C Marriage 87

Apex Change - The Revamped Court 90

A Natural Resources 91

B Inflation and Emergency 92

C Inter-provincial Trade 96

Current Battles 98

A Criminal Law 98

B Economic Regulation 101

C Environment and Development 103

6 Rebirth, and Rupture 108

Supreme at Last 108

Constitutional Rebirth 115

A The Path to Change 116

B Patriation 118

C Consequences: Quebec Veto 126

7 Interpretation and Rights 131

Prologue: Process and Persons 132

An Age of Rights 138

A Fundamental Justice and Criminal Fault (Motor Vehicle) 140

B The Rule of Law (Manitoba Language) 144

C Competing Constitutional Interests (Bill 30) 148

D Revisiting Past Decisions (Prostitution) 149

E The Intersection of Individual Rights, Federalism and Politics (Same-Sex Marriage) 152

8 Institutions 158

Rupture, for Real: Quebec Secession 158

Amendment, Actors and Judicial Supremacy 167

A Frozen in Time: Senate Reform 168

B Self-entrenchment 172

9 Actors, Advice and Law 180

The Core Tension 180

Why Pursue? 181

A Doctrinal Guidance 182

B Co-ordination 183

C Strategy 184

D Imprimatur 190

Why Not Comply? 192

Why Comply? 196

10 The Advisory Court 205

Process 207

Authority, Precedent, Stare Decisis 213

Providing Answers 221

A Abstract Review 222

B Answers, Declarations, Remedies 226

Conclusion 234

Index 237

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