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Law General

Democracy and Constitutions

Putting Citizens First

by (author) Allan Hutchinson

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Jun 2021
Category
General, General, Canadian
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487537234
    Publish Date
    Jun 2021
    List Price
    $26.95

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Description

As things stand, a commitment to weak democracy and strong constitutionalism ensures that a range of elite groups, actors, and institutions – political, economic, intellectual, and legal – hold considerable sway over constitutional matters, leaving less room for the participation of ordinary people. With the continued primacy of liberal constitutionalism, constitutional law has come to represent and facilitate the centrality of judicial power and authority. In Democracy and Constitutions, Allan C. Hutchinson warns against this deference to a legal elite on questions of constitutional meaning. For Hutchinson, an over-reliance on constitutional law, and a lack of attention to democratic politics, keeps people from influencing the moral and political character of society; it saps civic energies and relegates ordinary people to the sidelines.

 

Engaging and provocative, Democracy and Constitutions charts a course away from the elitism of the present and toward a more democratic future, one that re-balances society’s commitment to both democracy and constitutions. Advocating for a strong democracy and weak constitutionalism, this book places ordinary people at the institutional heart of government and politics, arguing that such a re-calibration is better for democracy and for society.

About the author

Allan Hutchinson is a distinguished research professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.

Allan Hutchinson's profile page