From Multilateral Failures to Unilateral Successes?: New Trends in Formal Constitutional Amendments (The State of the Federation) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0228028671 ISBN 13: 9780228028673

Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2026

Synopsis

For decades following the failures of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords, constitutional debate in Canada appeared largely dormant. This situation has changed markedly in recent years. Since 2021 Alberta has held a provincial referendum proposing the abolition of equalization, Quebec and Saskatchewan have each unilaterally amended the 1867 Constitution Act, and a bilateral constitutional amendment concerning Saskatchewan has been proclaimed with the support of Parliament.

Amid the stagnation that has characterized constitutional amendment processes from the early 1990s onward, these developments are highly significant. They signal a renewed dynamism in Canadian constitutional politics driven by provincial action and warranting careful and systematic analysis. Bringing together contributions from leading experts, From Multilateral Failures to Unilateral Successes? maps the impacts of recent and ongoing constitutional developments. Chapters examine instances of unilateral provincial action, offer analytical perspectives on the broader implications of these developments for federal authority, and explore the conditions under which provincial unilateralism may succeed. As the book shows, these initiatives operate within a political and constitutional framework where bilateral and multilateral options remain available but under-exploited.

At a moment when the Canadian Constitution is once again being tested and reshaped, this volume makes a timely and essential contribution, demonstrating that constitutional change is not only possible but already underway.

About this title

About the Authors

Dave Guénette is professor in the Faculty of Law at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Catherine Mathieu is professor in the Department of Legal Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Félix Mathieu is professor in the Department of Law at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

From the Back Cover

Series editor: Christian Leuprecht

The State of the Federation series provides timely commentary and perspectives on critical issues affecting Canadian federalism. Since 1985 it has reviewed events on the federal-provincial agenda. Books in the series offer retrospective and prospective assessments of emerging policy from the vantage points of Canadian and comparative federalism, intergovernmental relations, and multilevel governance, paying particular attention to the overlap with Canadian politics and society writ large. Authored by leading scholars and practitioners from government and business, chapters in each volume are integrated thematically.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0228028671
• ISBN 13: 9780228028673
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 258
• Editor: Guénette Dave, Mathieu Catherine, Mathieu Félix