TORONTO, May 2, 2014 – With the Prime Minister’s Office issuing a statement suggesting Stephen Harper refused to accept a phone call from Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and a subsequent rebuttal from the Chief Justice’s office, questions have arisen regarding the relationship between the PMO and the nation’s top court.
Lorne Sossin, Dean of Osgoode Law School at York University, and Professor Allan Hutchinson of Osgoode Law School are available to offer context to this important political and legal issue.
Dean Sossin has served as the inaugural Director of the Centre for the Legal Profession. His teaching interests span administrative and constitutional law, the regulation of professions, civil litigation, public policy and the judicial process. He is the author of numerous books and served as Interim Integrity Commissioner for the City of Toronto in 2008-2009, and is currently the Open Meeting Investigator for the City of Toronto.
Professor Hutchinson is a legal theorist with an international reputation for his original and provocative writings. His research interests are law and politics; legal theory; the legal profession; constitutional law; torts; jurisprudence; and civil procedure. Much of his work has been devoted to examining the failure of law to live up to its democratic promise.
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York’s 11 faculties and 27 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
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Media Contact: Tabassum Siddiqui, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543, tsiddiq@yorku.ca
