ICYMI: Some further mythbusting in relation to the notwithstanding clause. Does opposing it means opposing democracy? Are the judges whose decisions it's used to override just Liberals? The answers may surprise you! doubleaspect.blog/2025/11/10/n...

My new favourite bit of notwithstanding clause trivia:

New post: further notwithstanding clause mythbusting, to follow-up on my op-ed in the National Post last week.

George Brown on Canadian union and American insanity. (The American government was, in fact, insane; not for the last time.)

More George Brown on immigration and ambition for one's country.

George Brown on Comeau. Oopsie!

George Brown on how to think about taxation and trade.

George Brown on the people whose opinion you want to get on the right side of when you have ambitions and aspirations for your country's future.

ICYMI: My piece in the National Post addressing some of the myths being spread about the "notwithstanding clause" to justify its widespread use. nationalpost.com/opinion/leon...

Been called "some clown in England" at the other place, by some sad creature who goes by @TheKaiserSpeaks, which means I'm required to share this. I didn't make the rules!

My latest in the National Post, addressing a mythology that is coming to surround the "notwithstanding clause" and make it into something inoffensive and practically cuddly. It's nothing of the sort. nationalpost.com/opinion/leon...

Time to plug something I wrote back when I was teaching at AUT in New Zealand.

So this is a fun read for colleagues in UK universities.

John A Macdonald on Yes, Kings (but not *that* kind)!

Sir John A Macdonald stating the obvious during the Confederation Debates, February 6, 1865. The population of Canada at the time: a bit over 3 million. Being ambitious for your country means being open to immigration. Is there any country today that has this much ambition?

Sir John A Macdonald, describing the heights of political enmity during the Confederation Debates (February 6, 1865)

ICYMI: A right-wing takeover is no solution to left-wing philistinism

New post: too many institutions of culture and learning are run by ideologues who loathe what they are supposed to cherish. Replacing them by right-wing commisssars is not the answer.

Alberta has now used the "notwithstanding clause" to end a teachers' strike; Ontario did it too. The SCC's misbegotten case law on the "right" to strike is an embarrassment, yet there's no discussion of a constitutional amendment to overturn it, just lazy resort to s 33, which undermines all rights.

ICYMI: The Ontario government wants to scrap fixed-date elections and the censorship rules it used the "notwithstanding clause" to enact, and barely bothers hiding the rank partisan self-interest driving its proposals. doubleaspect.blog/2025/10/28/w...

Profound commentary from the longtime member of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. ¿Por qué no te callas?

New post: The Ontario government can't censor pre-election ads against it, so it's scrapping fixed-date elections instead. That's not all bad, but the crass self-interestedness of its proposal is galling.

ICYMI: My piece on Quebec's provincial constitution bill's problems in The Line.

New post: some further thoughts on the Quebec Constitution project (specifically, the process by which it is being enacted). doubleaspect.blog/2025/10/21/h...

My latest in The Line, on the problems with Quebec's proposed provincial constitution. And I should take the opportunity to encourage Canadians, at least, to subscribe to The Line. They don't take government money. Give them some of yours!

En rappel, ma critique du Projet de loi 1, notamment en raison de son incohérence et incompatibilité avec le cadre constitutionnel canadien. doubleaspect.blog/2025/10/10/c...

Un peu de lecture pour votre fin de semaine de l'Action de grâce!

The thing is, there are OTHER books you have to read to review the one book. total scam by Big Book

New post (en français): Quebec's Bill 1 and its proposed provincial constitution is epically incoherent and incompatible with the Canadian constitutional framework into which it purports to fit.

Nouveau billet: le Projet de loi 1, avec sa Constitution du Québec, est un monument d'incohérence incompatible avec le cadre constitutionnel dans lequel il a la prétention de s'inscrire.

But if you are looking for a serious study of what a Quebec constitution could do and what constraints — legal, political, and principled — apply to provincial constitution-making, check out @richardalbert.bsky.social's and my edited book: www.mqup.ca/a-written-co...

The main thing to know about this constitutional wankery is that the party engaged in it is currently projected to win zero seats at an election due to take place a year from now.

The main thing to know about this constitutional wankery is that the party engaged in it is currently projected to win zero seats at an election due to take place a year from now.

"If a doctor says, 'I know you identify as gay, and I'm going to help you accept that,' and another doctor says, 'I know you identify is gay, and I'm going to help you to change that,' and one of those is permissible, and the other is not, that seems like viewpoint discrimination," said Kagan

ICYMI: How does one go about counting theories of constitutional interpretation? doubleaspect.blog/2025/10/07/c...

New post: I'm wondering how many theories of constitutional interpretation there are. doubleaspect.blog/2025/10/07/c...

New post: learning from impossible-to-comply-with consumer-protection legislation in Canada doubleaspect.blog/2025/09/23/p...

In light of the FCC's role in the imposition of Trumpian cancel culture in the US, Canadians should consider how they feel about a CBC answerable to a Trump imitator and a CRTC staffed by his appointees. The time to reduce government power is when the decent guys have it - after that, it's too late.

ICYMI

New post: no law, I'm afraid, but an attempt to think through what the Last Night of the Proms and the "Unite the Kingdom" protest tell us about the different ways in which love of country manifests itself.

En rappel: les arguments à l'appui de la contestation de la nomination du juge Robert Leckey à la Cour supérieure du Québec ne sont pas sérieux. doubleaspect.blog/2025/09/15/n...

Just learning of this patently ridiculous legal challenge now - this thread is spot-on.

Nouveau billet, reprenant en français mon argument à l'effet que la nomination du juge Leckey à la Cour supérieure du Québec est valide et le recours qui cherche à la contester, sans fondement. doubleaspect.blog/2025/09/15/n...

Some judicial appointment shenanigans to finish your week in style! Justice Leckey's appointment to the Quebec Superior Court is being challenged by a group led by Daniel Turp. Some thoughts below. Tl;dr: this has no legs. 1/5 www.lapresse.ca/actualites/2...

Next week, a group of our staff will be taking part in the Reading Legal Walk 2025 to help raise funds for advice charities in Reading. If you are able to support us, please go to: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/universit.... We are grateful for any contribution!

At heart religious toleration was about sharing civic space with those who disagreed about the most fundamental questions, who rejected divinity and truth, who spread heresy and threatened the eternal damnation of immortal souls. The stakes could not have been higher. 2/

It may be hard to fully comprehend what principles of religious toleration demanded, but it matters. If a religious adherent can be asked to tolerate those of another faith, we should be able to tolerate those who merely disagree about mere matters of politics or policy. 3/3

At moments like this it is worth considering and reflecting upon the history and principles of religious toleration. Such tolerance was not about being nice to people with different customs or holidays, but something far more profound. 1/

For the record, here's what I said in my earlier post (doubleaspect.blog/2025/08/28/o...). I do not want people to not be considered for academic positions because of the school or movement they belong to. I've reason enough to think that I'm a victim of that myself.