Constitutional Challengers: The Heroes, Villains, and Crusaders Behind Canada's Biggest Cases

By Adam Dodek

Behind every great constitutional case, there is a person with a fascinating story.

The Supreme Court decides some of the biggest issues in Canadian society: Do Canadians have the right to assisted suicide? Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry? How far does freedom of religion or freedom of expression go?

In Constitutional Challengers, Adam Dodek has gathered together twenty-six of the most significant constitutional cases, including five major decisions concerning Indigenous rights. Behind every one of these cases is a person who had a problem to solve and ended up entangled in the Canadian judicial system.

Some of these people became crusaders - people who campaigned for a cause and set out to change other people's views and create broader social change. These individuals, such as sex-workers' rights advocate Terri-Jean Bedford and abortion provider Dr. Henry Morgentaler, are villains to some and heroes to others. But most of the people behind the biggest legal decisions weren't trying to champion a cause; they were just trying to achieve a result that became much bigger than themselves. They were along for the ride - often a long and convoluted one - in the Canadian justice system. It's within their journeys, often overlooked by the media, that the true victories and life-altering costs of standing up for one's beliefs can be found.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1459755227
• ISBN13: 9781459755222
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Dundurn Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"