Landmark Cases in Canadian Law

Persons. Calder. Little Sisters. Chaoulli. Monsanto v. Schmeiser.

Since Confederation, Canada’s highest court – first the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England and then the Supreme Court of Canada – has issued a series of often contentious decisions that have fundamentally shaped the nation. Both cheered and jeered, these judgments have impacted every aspect of Canadian society, setting legal precedents and provoking social change. The issues in the judgments range from Aboriginal title, gender equality, and freedom of expression to Quebec secession and intellectual property.

UBC Press is proud to announce a new series – Landmark Cases in Canadian Law – which offers comprehensive, book-length examinations of Privy Council or Supreme Court of Canada decisions that have had a major impact on Canadian law, politics, and society. The inaugural book in the series, Flawed Precedent, analyzes the St. Catherine’s Milling decision of 1888, which defined the nature and character of Aboriginal title in Canadian law for almost a century and had a profound impact on the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada.