The Supreme Court of Canada is commemorating its 150th anniversary in 2025. In this five-episode podcast, students in a legal journalism course at Carleton look back on the court’s humble beginnings in 1875, examine some landmark decisions and societal debates, and look ahead to the future.
As the Supreme Court of Canada commemorates its 150th year, the country finds itself amidst a heated trade war with the United States. In this episode of CU in Court, we take a step back from tariffs to look at how politics influence the judge appointment process in both countries. Are these two countries on the same page when it comes to legal processes? We explore the concept of non-partisanship in the judge appointment process, the role of culture, politics and the rule of law in both countries.
Climate change is an existential threat to human life in Canada: the Supreme Court ruled as much in 2021. The right to a healthy environment is not explicitly protected by the constitution, but an upcoming appeal challenges the Court to recognize it. We talked to one of the appellants, her lawyer and an environmental law expert to understand what underpins a key future issue for the Court.
Though the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came over 100 years after the Supreme Court, it has impacted the Court in countless ways. In this episode of C U in Court! 150 Years of the Supreme Court of Canada, we tell you all about one of the Charter’s most controversial sections – the notwithstanding clause. It was meant to be a last resort but more governments have been using it in recent years to override court decisions they don’t like. Listen on to hear from experts on why that is and what the future of the section could look like.
The Charter of Rights guarantees that everyone has the right to express themselves freely in Canada. Over the years, the Supreme Court of Canada has been the one to draw the line on the extent of this fundamental freedom by deciding when legally protected speech crosses the line into illegal hate propaganda and discrimination. This episode of C U in Court examines three consequential Supreme Court cases that have shaped the balance of freedom of expression and hate speech in Canadian society.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Canada created a court that didn’t mean much to Canadians. In its early decades, the Supreme Court of Canada struggled for legitimacy, competing with provincial courts and answering to England. Today, it stands as the final word on the biggest legal questions in Canada. In this episode of CU in Court! 150 years of the Supreme Court of Canada, we discuss the court’s origins, some of its most prominent cases, and where it might be heading.
Contributors: Abyssinia Abebe, Rebekah Austring, Jeremy Borg, Evan Bryant, Sean Coombs, David Cummings, Hannah Daramola, Janson Duench, Zacharie Landry, Simona Milutinovic, Nadia Nikpour-Badr, Tessa Peterson, Ely Pittman, Jessica Shackleton, Reagan Spencer, Sarah St-Pierre, Emma Stuart-Kiss and Victor Vigas Alvarez