Parliamentary Privilege in Canada. 2nd ed.

Eric P. Mintz is an associate professor of political science at Sir
Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Parliamentary privilege is a part of the legal system in Canada that
provides legislators with the rights (such as freedom of speech) and the
protections (such as exemption from jury duty) needed to carry out their
responsibilities. It also refers to the authority of parliamentary
bodies to protect their integrity by taking action against those deemed
to be in contempt of Parliament.

This clearly written, authoritative book by Joseph Maingot, a former
parliamentary counsel to the House of Commons, provides a detailed and
comprehensive legal analysis of parliamentary privilege. Although the
focus is on the Canadian House of Commons, provincial and territorial
legislatures are also discussed. The development and practice of
parliamentary privilege in the United Kingdom is examined and occasional
references are made to other Commonwealth countries. Particularly
noteworthy in this second edition is the addition of a chapter that
looks at the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Parliamentary Privilege in Canada would be a very useful resource for
those working in legislative bodies; it is also recommended for public
and academic libraries.