My latest on Harper and the judiciary, co-authored with Michael Plaxton and appearing in the most recent edition of Policy Options Magazine.
“After 10 years of Conservative appointments it is not at all clear that the courts — and certainly the Supreme Court of Canada — are in worse shape than they were when Stephen Harper took office. There is nothing to suggest that the judiciary of 2015 is less qualified or more “political” in its approach to judging. Indeed, over the past few years the government has suffered losses in blockbuster decisions concerning prostitution, assisted suicide and Senate reform. And in each of those cases, the Court was unanimous. So if Stephen Harper came to power with a burning desire to reshape the Canadian judiciary, there is little evidence that he has succeeded….”