Constitutional Pariah

Emmett Macfarlane is an associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on the intersection of governance, constitutional law, and public policy. He is the author of Governing from the Bench: The Supreme Court of Canada and the Judicial Role and is the editor of Constitutional Amendment in Canada and Policy Change, Courts, and the Canadian Constitution.

… [Macfarlane's] book provides a clear and vigorous account of the last few decades of debates over the Senate, particularly the 2014 reference to the Supreme Court about what changes Parliament can make to the Senate without seeking constitutional amendments.- Christopher Moore, author of Louisbourg Portraits: Life in An Eighteenth Century Garrison Town (Christopher Moore's History Blog) If there is a better book on the challenges of constitutional change in Canada, I have yet to see it. - Richard Albert, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa (Alberta Law Review) I encourage scholars to enter the conversation on the possibilities and limits of Senate Reform that Macfarlane has initiated with this dazzling book and to join the broader discussion on constitutional reform in Canada from perspectives in law, political science, and beyond. - Richard Albert, University of Ottawa (Alberta Law Review) Centered around the 2014 Supreme Court of Canada decision Reference re Senate Reform (2014 SSC 32), this book goes beyond a simple discussion of the decision itself and sets the context through a study of the past, present, and future of the Senate... Macfarlane lets the topic bloom out around the decision and, in the end, leaves the reader with an excellent grounding in all things Senate. - Emily Benton, University of Ottawa (Canadian Law Library Review)

• Introduction: The Making of a Landmark Case1 The Senate's (Unfulfilled) Roles2 A Short History of Senate Reform3 If at First You Don't Succeed … The Harper Government and the Senate4 The Decision5 Informal Reform and a New Appointments Process: A Renewed Senate?6 A Constitution in Stasis? Prospects and Problems for Future Constitutional ChangeConclusion: The Future of the Senate, Parliament, and Constitutional ReformNotes; Select Bibliography; Index of Cases; Index