Mighty Judgment: How The Supreme Court Of Canada Runs Your Life

In Mighty Judgment, bestselling author Philip Slayton describes the surprising and dramatic ways in which the Supreme Court of Canada affects individual Canadians and shapes the country’s future. Whether they are striking down Canada’s abortion laws as unconstitutional, deciding that gays and lesbians can legally marry, or outlining the conditions under which Quebec could separate from Canada, the nine men and women who make up the court are powerful—and unelected—leaders. Their reach extends from the seemingly mundane—yes, the police can rifle through your garbage—to the highly political.

Mighty Judgment makes clear that the Supreme Court of Canada is a political institution and that judges are politicians. But unlike other politicians, judges cannot be voted out of office. Slayton argues that reform is needed, particularly in the way judges are chosen, precisely because of the court’s pivotal role. Erudite and entertaining, Mighty Judgment is a revealing portrait of a little-known institution. The paperback is updated with an epilogue that discusses important recent cases, the new judges appointed to the court, and the way in which they were appointed.