The Charter Revolution and the Court Party

Agar Adamson is the author of Letters of Agar Adamson, 1914–19 and former chair of the Department of Political Science at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.

The Charter Revolution and the Court Party is one of the most important
books written on the Charter since its birth in 1982. The authors,
members of the University of Calgary’s political science department,
have written extensively on Charter issues. In this well-researched and
closely argued book, they illustrate how the power of the courts—and
the Supreme Court in particular—has diminished the supremacy of
Parliament and the scope of democratic decision-making by elected
politicians. They make clear their position on the Charter, stating
“we have made no attempt to hide our opposition to both the Charter
Revolution and the Court Party,” and their review of various Charter
decisions strongly supports their belief that the Charter Revolution has
transformed Canada from a “we” society into a “me” society.

Although more coverage of certain key decisions (e.g., “Dolphin
Delivery”) would have been welcome, The Charter Revolution and the
Court Party is a book that deserves to be widely read and debated at
length.