Is Canadian Constitutional Law Canadian?

Abstract

In 2017, Anthea Roberts published an important book, Is International Law International?, in which she asked whether there was actually a unified approach to international law across international jurisdictions or whether approaches to international law differed significantly within different cultural and educational systems. She went further than asking that question but went on to amass significant evidence on educational profiles of academics in different countries, international law textbooks within different national contexts, and ultimately different and competing national traditions of international law. While I will certainly not here amass the same quantity of material in response to the question, I raise here a question inspired by hers, asking “Is Canadian Constitutional Law Canadian?”

To be clear, I ask that not in the sense of whether Canadian constitutional law is distinctive relative to the traditions of other states, such as the United Kingdom or United States, but rather whether Canadian constitutional law is unified at a pan Canadian level. Is there one patriated body of constitutional law across Canada, or are there sufficient indications as to raise questions about such a claim that would warrant further and more detailed investigation?