On the Frontlines of Democracy16 Apr 2025

From Law Student to Chief Justice - The Role of the Judiciary in Democracy with Beverley McLachlin

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin about the role of courts in upholding constitutional democracy. McLachlin reflects on fairness and moral intuition in making judgments. She also discusses the evolution of the "living tree" doctrine and efforts to build consensus and transparency at the Supreme Court. The conversation ends with a look at the balance of power among branches of government and the threats posed by leaders who challenge constitutional norms.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Guest: The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin. Educated at the University of Alberta, where she studied philosophy and law, Beverley McLachlin was sworn in to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1989. She was appointed chief justice in 2000—a position she held until 2017—becoming the first woman to do so and the longest-serving chief justice to date. A recipient of more than 35 honorary degrees, McLachlin is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Commander of the Légion d'honneur, among other awards. Her numerous publications include three bestselling novels—Full Disclosure, Denial and Proof—and a memoir, Truth Be Told, which won the Writers' Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the Ottawa Book Award for Non-fiction.

Background Reading:

Beverley McLachlin's Truth Be Told: The Story of My Life and My Fight for Equality

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(30)

Countering the Threat of Wannabe Fascists with Federico Finchelstein

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Federico Finchelstein about the history of fascism and the growing threat authoritarian politics pose to democracy today. Drawing on his latest book, The Wannabe Fasc...

25 Maj 1h 5min

Building Democratic Resilience and International Solidarity with Bob Rae

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with The Honourable Bob Rae, in a special live recording at DemocracyXchange 2026, about the state of global order, Canadian democracy, and the country's role in a shiftin...

24 Apr 59min

The Struggles for Black Freedom in the US and Africa with Howard French

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Howard French, professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of The Second Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation and the Modern Black Freedom...

6 Apr 50min

Dignity, Freedom and Memory with Lea Ypi

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Lea Ypi, professor of politics and philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of Indignity: A Life Reimagined, about dignity, freed...

27 Feb 43min

The Fight for Global Human Rights with Ketty Nivyabandi

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, about the global state of human rights amid rising authoritarianism, conflict, and democratic ero...

18 Dec 202548min

The Political Economy Underlying the US-China Clash with Ho-Fung Hung

Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Ho-Fung Hung, the Henry and Elizabeth Wiesenfeld Professor in Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University, to discuss contemporary understandings of China and how t...

20 Nov 202545min

The Making and Unmaking of American Power with Ed Luce

U.S. national editor and columnist at the Financial Times, Edward Luce, joins host Sanjay Ruparelia to discuss the topic of latest book: Zbigniew Brzezinski. They cover his life, legacy, as well as le...

24 Okt 202539min

Globalization and the New Geography of Inequality with Branko Milanović

Economist, professor and author Branko Milanović joins host Sanjay Ruparelia to discuss global economic inequality, the impact of globalization and the role of migration in addressing inequality. _...

16 Maj 202544min