Âé¶čAV

Âé¶čAV.CA / Faculty of Law / Faculty Members

Robert Leckey

Dean, Faculty of Law
Full Professor
Samuel Gale Chair

Old Chancellor Day Hall
3644 Peel Street
Room 15
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3A 1W9

514-398-6604 [Office]

Dean Robert Leckey

Âé¶čAV Reporter (nov. 2019)
Focus Law / droit: (fall-winter 2015)
Âé¶čAV Reporter: (Feb. 2012)
Âé¶čAV Teaching Snapshot: Robert Leckey

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Biography

Robert Leckey, Ad. E., is a full professor at the Faculty of Law, where he teaches constitutional law and family law. He served as director of the Paul-AndrĂ© CrĂ©peau Centre for Private and Comparative Law from August 2014 to June 2016. On 1 July 2016, he began a five-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Law. In December 2020, Âé¶čAV’s Board of Governors reappointed him for a second five-year term, starting 1 July 2021.

From 2002 to 2003, he served as law clerk for Justice Michel Bastarache of the Supreme Court of Canada. From 2003 to 2006, he undertook doctoral studies in law at the University of Toronto as a Trudeau scholar. His dissertation, which received the Alan Marks Medal for best graduate thesis in 2006, was published as Contextual Subjects: Family, State, and Relational Theory, by University of Toronto Press in 2008. In 2005-2006, he worked as a visiting scholar at the Centre de recherche en Ă©thique de l’UniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al (CRÉUM). He joined the Faculty of Law in July 2006 and was named a William Dawson Scholar by Âé¶čAV in 2011. During his sabbatical leave in 2012-2013, he was a special visitor at the Âé¶čAV Institute for the Study of Canada.

He has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2003 and an advocate of the Barreau du QuĂ©bec since 2020. From 2017 to 2020, he was a solicitor of the Barreau du QuĂ©bec. From 2008-2011, he chaired the Âé¶čAV Equity Subcommittee on Queer People. In 2010-2011, he served as director of research for the Inquiry Commission on the Process for Appointing Judges (the Bastarache Commission). From 2011 to 2015, he was the president of Egale Canada. From 2011 to 2016, he chaired its Legal Issues Committee. From 2020 to 2022, he served as president of the Council of Canadian Law Deans.

Robert Leckey has received the Prix de la Fondation du Barreau du QuĂ©bec (2007); the Canadian Association of Law Teachers' Scholarly Paper Prize (2009); the Âé¶čAV Law Students’ Association’s John W. Durnford Teaching Excellence Award (2009); the Canada Prize of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2010); the (2010); and the Principal’s Change-Maker Prize for his public engagement through media in 2020.

In 2014, he was selected for membership in the Global Young Academy. In 2017, he was elected an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. In 2020, he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. In 2021, he received the Barreau du QuĂ©bec’s Advocatus Emeritus (Ad. E.) distinction.

Robert Leckey has received the Prix de la Fondation du Barreau du QuĂ©bec (2007); the Canadian Association of Law Teachers' Scholarly Paper Prize (2009); the Âé¶čAV Law Students’ Association’s John W. Durnford Teaching Excellence Award (2009); the Canada Prize of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2010); the (2010); the Principal’s Change-Maker Prize for his public engagement through media in 2020; and the Hero Award of the ÌęSexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section (SAGDA)Ìęof the Canadian Bar Association (2024).

In 2014, he was selected for membership in the Global Young Academy. In 2017, he was elected an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. In 2020, he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. In 2021, he received the Barreau du QuĂ©bec’s Advocatus Emeritus (Ad. E.) distinction. In 2024, he was made an honorary member of the Âé¶čAV Scarlet Key Society.Ìę

Research interests

Robert Leckey conducts research in constitutional law, family law, and comparative law. He is editor of a collection entitled (Routledge, 2015). His monograph appeared in Cambridge University Press’s Studies in Constitutional Law in 2015.Ìę

Ongoing research interests include the regulation of adult conjugality, relations between parents and children, and the relationship between public and private regulation of intimacy.

He welcomes queries concerning potential graduate supervision.

Employment

  • Samuel Gale Chair, Âé¶čAV, Faculty of Law, 2016-
  • Dean, Âé¶čAV, Faculty of Law, 2016-
  • Full Professor, Âé¶čAV, Faculty of Law, 2015-
  • Director, Paul-AndrĂ© CrĂ©peau Centre for Private and Comparative Law, August 2014-June 2016
  • William Dawson Scholar, 2011-2016
  • Acting Director, Paul-AndrĂ© CrĂ©peau Centre for Private and Comparative Law, July 2011-Dec 2011
  • Associate Professor, Âé¶čAV, Faculty of Law, 2011-2015
  • Assistant Professor, Âé¶čAV, Faculty of Law, 2006-2011
  • Visiting Scholar, Centre de recherche en Ă©thique de l’UniversitĂ© de MontrĂ©al (CRÉUM), 2005-2006
  • Law Clerk to the Hon. Justice Michel Bastarache, Supreme Court of Canada, 2002-2003
  • Manager, Public Affairs, The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC), 1997-1998

Education

  • SJD (University of Toronto), 2003-2006
  • BCL/LLB (Âé¶čAV), 1998-2002
  • UniversitĂ© PanthĂ©on-Assas (Paris II), Academic Exchange (CRÉPUQ), 2001-2002
  • BA (Hons.) (Queen’s University), 1993-1997

Areas of Interest

Family law, administrative law, constitutional law.

Publications

Forthcoming publications

"La prestation compensatoire d'union parentale” Les Cahiers de droit [forthcoming], 27 pp.
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“L’union de fait, la provision pour frais et l’accĂšs Ă  la justice”Ìę65:4ÌęLes Cahiers de droitÌę[forthcoming], 25 pp.
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"De Facto Relationships in Canada" in Jens M. Scherpe & Andy Hayward, eds., The Legal Status of De Facto Relationships (Cambridge: Intersentia) [forthcoming], 29 pp.
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Journal articles

"Cohabitation Law in Quebec: Confusing, Incoherent, and Unjust" (2022) 44:2 Houston Journal of International Law 331–65
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"Advocacy Notwithstanding the Notwithstanding Clause” (2019) 28:4 Constitutional Forum 1–7
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“Introduction” (2016) 118:2 Revue du Notariat 239–41.

“Symposium Introduction” (2016) 62:3 Loyola Law Review 613–20 (with John Lovett).

“Feminism, Institutional Roles, and Justice LeBel’s Family Law” (2015) 70 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 71–91. Reprinted in Dwight Newman & Malcolm Thorburn, eds., The Dignity of Law: The Legacy of Justice Louis LeBel (Markham, ON: LexisNexis, 2015) 71–91.
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“Introduction: After Equality” (2015) 27:1 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law i–v (with RĂ©gine Tremblay).

“Developments in Family Law: The 2012-2013 Term” (2014) 64 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 241-66.
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“Family Law and the Charter’s First 30 Years: An Impact Delayed, Deep, and Declining but Lasting” (2013) 32:1 Canadian Family Law Quarterly 21–52 (with Nicholas Bala).

"Developments in Family Law: The 2010-2012 Terms" (2012) 59 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 193-231.
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"Developments in Family Law: The 2008-2009 Term - Just Divisions?" (2009) 48 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 181-219.
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"Thick Instrumentalism and Comparative Constitutionalism: The Case of Gay Rights" (2009) 40 Columbia Human Rights Law Review 425-78.
Related Document: Thick Instrumentalism and Comparative Constitutionalism: The Case of Gay Rights [.pdf]

"Chosen Discrimination" (2002) 18 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 445-75.
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Articles in refereed journals

“Family Lawyers on Cohabitation and Judge-Made Law” (2024) 74:4 University of Toronto Law Journal 408–40.
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“La modification de laÌęCharte des droits et libertĂ©s de la personneÌęen dĂ©bats” (2024) 65:2ÌęLes Cahiers de droitÌę347–82 (withÌęOscarÌęBourgeois).
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“Compromise on Parenting and Family Violence? Reforms to Canada’s Divorce Act” (2024) 32:1ÌęFeminist Legal StudiesÌę3–24.
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“L’invisibilitĂ© persistante des parents de mĂȘme sexe en droit familial quĂ©bĂ©cois” (2023) 52:3ÌęRevue de droit de l’UniversitĂ© de SherbrookeÌę657–84

"Regards croisĂ©s sur l’union de fait en droit quĂ©bĂ©cois" (2023) 64:1ÌęLes Cahiers de droitÌę217–42.
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“Differences in a Minor Archive: Feminist Activists and Scholars on Cohabitation” (2022) 70:2ÌęAmerican Journal of Comparative LawÌę364-398.
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“Indigenous Parents and Child Welfare: Mistrust, Epistemic Injustice, and Training” (2022) 31:4ÌęSocial & Legal Studies 559-79Ìę(with Raphael Schmieder-Gropen, Chukwubuikem Nnebe & Miriam Clouthier).Ìę
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“Child Welfare, Indigenous Parents, and Judicial Mediation” (2022) 49:1 Journal of Law and Society 151–69.
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“The Notwithstanding Clause: Legislatures, Courts, and the Electorate” (2022) 72:2ÌęUniversity of Toronto Law JournalÌę189–215 (with Eric Mendelsohn).
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“‘Repugnant’: Homosexuality and Criminal Family Law” (2020) 70:3 University of Toronto Law Journal 225–44.
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“Assisted Dying, Suspended Declarations, and Dialogue’s Time” (2019) 69:Supp University of Toronto Law Journal 64–83.
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“One Parent, Three Parents: Judges and Ontario’s All Families Are Equal Act, 2016” (2019) 33:3 International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 298–315.
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“Cohabitation, Female Sacrifice, and Judge-Made Law” (2019) 41:1 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 72–91.
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“L’enrichissement injustifiĂ©, l’union de fait et l’emprunt Ă  la common law dans le droit mixte du QuĂ©bec” (2018) 59:3 Les Cahiers de droit 585–615.
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“L’adoption coutumiĂšre autochtone en droit civil quĂ©bĂ©cois” (2018) 59:4 Les Cahiers de droit 973–96.
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“Judging in Marriage’s Shadow” (2018) 26:1 Feminist Legal Studies 25–45.
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“Les liens de l’adoptĂ©â€ [2017] 4 Revue internationale de droit comparĂ© 847–61.
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“Cohabitation, Law Reform, and the Litigants” (2017) 31:2 International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 131–46.
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“Review of Comparative Law” (2017) 26:1 Social & Legal Studies 3–24.

“Realizing Rights Here and Now” Australian Journal of Human Rights (2016) 22:2 Australian Journal of Human Rights 61–80.
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“Cohabitation’s Boundaries and the Confines of Tradition” (2016) 25:5 Social & Legal Studies 525–43 (with Yann Favier).
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“The Harms of Remedial Discretion” (2016) 14:3 International Journal of Constitutional Law 584–607.
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“Identity, Law, and the Right to a Dream?” (2015) 38:2 Dalhousie Law Journal 525–47.
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“Enforcing Laws That Infringe Rights” [2016] Public Law, 206-14.
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“Remedial Practice beyond Constitutional Text” (2016) 64:1 American Journal of Comparative Law 1–35.
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“Strange Bedfellows” (2014) 64:5 University of Toronto Law Journal 641–68.
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« ‘Infiniment plus de choses dans la vie que dans la loi’: La reconnaissance des mĂšres lesbiennesÌę» (2014) 86 Droit et SociĂ©tĂ© 115–32.
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“Must Equal Mean Identical? Same-sex Couples and Marriage” (2014) 10:1 International Journal of Law in Context 5-25.
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“Face to Face” (2013) 19 Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, 743-58.
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“Marriage and the Data on Same-Sex Couples” (2013) 35:2 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 179–91.
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"Two Mothers in Law and Fact" (2013) 21:1 Feminist Legal Studies 1–19.
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“Bankruptcy, Provincial Law, and the Family Farm” 91 (2012) 91:2ÌęCanadian Bar Review 435–53.
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“Les trente premiĂšres annĂ©es de la Charte canadienne en droit de la famille” (2012) 42:3 Revue de droit de l’UniversitĂ© de Sherbrooke 409–57 (with Nicholas Bala).
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“Unjust Enrichment and De facto Spouses” (2012) 114:3 Revue du Notariat 475–500.
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"Gimme Shelter" (2011) 34 Dalhousie Law Journal 197-228.
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"Law Reform, Lesbian Parenting, and the Reflective Claim" (2011) 20 Social & Legal Studies 331-48.
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"Lesbian Parental Projects in Word and Deed" (2011) 45 Revue Juridique Thémis 315-41.
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"The Practices of Lesbian Mothers and Quebec’s Reforms" (2011) 23 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law 579-99.
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"But What Is Judicial Guidance? Debating Canadian Judgments on Children" (2010) 32 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 381-90.
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"Complexifying Roncarelli’s Rule of Law" (2010) 55 Âé¶čAV Law Journal 721-41.
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"Rhapsodie sur la forme et le fond de l’harmonisation juridique" (2010) 51 Les Cahiers de Droit 3-49.
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"A Common Law of the Family? Reflections on Rick v. Brandsema" (2009) 25 Canadian Journal of Family Law 257-96.
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"‘Where the Parents Are of the Same Sex’: Quebec’s Reforms to Filiation" (2009) 23 International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 62-82.
Related Document: Where the Parents Are of the Same Sex: Quebec’s Reforms to Filiation [.pdf]

"Cohabitation and Comparative Method" (2009) 72 Modern Law Review 48-72.
Related Document: Cohabitation and Comparative Method [.pdf]

"Family outside the Book on the Family" (2009) 88 Canadian Bar Review 545-78.
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"Contracting Claims and Family Law Feuds" (2007) 57 University of Toronto Law Journal 1-41.

"Family Law as Fundamental Private Law" (2007) 86 Canadian Bar Review 69-96.
Related Document:Ìę Family Law as Fundamental Private Law [.pdf]

"Prescribed by Law/Une rĂšgle de droit" (2007) 45 Osgoode Hall Law Journal 571-620.
Related Document: Prescribed by Law / Une rĂšgle de droit [.pdf]

"Private Law as Constitutional Context for Same-Sex Marriage" (2007) 2 Journal of Comparative Law 172-91.
Related Document: Private Law as Constitutional Context for Same-sex Marriage [.pdf]

"Profane Matrimony" (2006) 21(2) Canadian Journal of Law & Society 1-23.
Related Document: Profane_Matrimony [.pdf]

"Embodied Dignity" (2005) 5 Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal 63-83.
Related Document: Embodied Dignity [.pdf]

"Employing Fairness" (2003) 18:2 Canadian Journal of Law and Society 45-67.
Related Document: Employing Fairness [.pdf]

"Harmonizing Family Law’s Identities" (2002) 28 Queen’s Law Journal 221-77.
Related Document: Harmonizing Family Law's Identities [.pdf]

"Relational Contract and Other Models of Marriage" (2002) 40 Osgoode Hall Law Journal 1-47.
Related Document: Relational Contract and Other Models of Marriage [.pdf]

"Taking Stock: Securities Regulation and the Division of Powers" (1999) 22(2) Dalhousie Law Journal 250-91 (with Eric Ward).
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Articles in technical/professional publications

“L’union parentale, une rĂ©forme trop timide,” IRPP Policy Options (15 April 2024).
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“A Timid Reform for Parental Unions,” IRPP Policy Options (15 April 2024).
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“The Fundamental Rights of Trans and Nonbinary Minors in Schools: Challenges in Canada,” Oxford Human Rights Hub (18 March 2024) (with Florence Ashley and Samuel Singer).
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“Unmarried Cohabitants Should Be Protected too: Quebec and Ontario Should Apply the Same Sharing of Property to Both Married and Unmarried Couples,” IRPP Policy Options (18 September 2023).
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“Robust Public Debate Needed on Use of Notwithstanding Clause,” IRPP Policy Options (18 November 2022).
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“Le recours Ă  la disposition de dĂ©rogation doit faire l’objet d’un solide dĂ©bat public,” IRPP Policy Options (18 November 2022).
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“Bill 96: An Attack on Justice and Fundamental Rights,” IRPP Policy Options (20 May 2022).
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“Loi 96: une atteinte à la justice et aux droits fondamentaux,” IRPP Policy Options (20 May 2022).
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"Transfer Authority of Child Welfare to Indigenous Communities," IRPP Policy Options (20 April 2022).
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“Quebec Could Face Compensation Claims for Bill 21 Harms,” IRPP Policy Options (10 October 2019).
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“The Faulty Received Wisdom around the Notwithstanding Clause,” IRPP Policy Options (10 May 2019).
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“Political Factors in Judicial Appointments,” Policy Options (1 October 2015).
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“Suspended Declarations of Invalidity and and the Rule of Law,” U.K. Const. L. Blog (12 March 2014)
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"Sameness and Change Respecting Unmarried Couples," STEP Inside: Newsletter of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Canada) (May 2013, 5–6).
Related Document: Sameness and Change Respecting Unmarried Couples [.pdf]

"The Charter & Family Law: The First 30 Years" Special NJI Family Law e-Letter 208A (17 April 2012) (National Judicial Institute) (with Nicholas Bala).

"Le droit familial au QuĂ©bec: une rĂ©flexion s’impose", Bulletin de liaison: FĂ©dĂ©ration des associations de familles monoparentales et recomposĂ©es du QuĂ©bec 34(2), 4-5 (October 2009).

"Lawmakers Should Create Intermediate Parenting Category" (2007) The Lawyers Weekly 9 November 2007
Related Document: Lawmakers Should Create Intermediate Parenting Category [.pdf]

"A Matter of Distributing Public Goods Equally" 23:19 The Lawyers Weekly (19 September 2003).

Books and monographs

Natasha Bakht, Vanessa Gruben, Shelley Kierstead & Robert Leckey,ÌęFamilies and the Law: Cases and Commentary, 4th ed. (Concord, ON: Captus Press, 2024).

(Montreal: Yvon Blais, 2017) (original collection edited with Anne-Sophie Hulin), 131 pp.

La responsabilitĂ© de la doctrine, guest-edited special issue marking the 40th anniversary of the Paul-AndrĂ© CrĂ©peau Centre for Private and Comparative Law, (2016) 118:2 La Revue du Notariat, pp. 239–358 (four peer-reviewed papers plus editor’s introduction).

(London: Routledge, 2017) (edited volume) 492 pp.

(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 256 pp.

Les apparences en droit civil (Cowansville, QC: Yvon Blais, 2015) (original collection edited with Anne-Sophie Hulin and Lionel Smith), 221 pp.

After Equality, guest-edited special issue, (2015) 27:1 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, 172 pp. (6 peer-reviewed papers plus editor’s introduction).

(Abingdon: Routledge, 2015) (edited collection).

Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010) (ed. by Robert Leckey and Kim Brooks), 222 pp.

Contextual Subjects: Family, State, and Relational Theory (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008), 355 pp.

Articles/chapters in books and monographs

“Legislative Choices in Using Section 33 and Judicial Scrutiny” in Peter L Biro, ed,ÌęThe Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter: Rights, Reforms, and ControversiesÌę(Montreal & Kingston: Âé¶čAV-Queen's University Press, 2024) 111–31.

“Religion and Same-Sex Marriage” in Safa Ben Saad, David Koussens & Benjamin Prud’homme, eds., La religion en droit de la famille: Le religieux comme variable de prise de dĂ©cision dans un droit familial laĂŻcisĂ© (Montreal: ThĂ©mis, 2020) 11–26.
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“Cohabitants, Choice, and the Public Interest” in Elizabeth Brake & Lucinda Ferguson, eds., Philosophical Foundations of Children’s and Family Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), 115–33.
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“Marriage and the Data on Same-sex Couples” in Susan Millns & Simone Wong, eds., Wealth and Poverty in Close Personal Relationships: Money Matters (London: Routledge, 2017) 101–17.
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“Marriage, Family, and Federal Concerns” in Peter Oliver, Patrick Macklem & Nathalie Des Rosiers, eds., The Oxford Handbook of the Canadian Constitution (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017) 575–94 (with Carol Rogerson).
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“Les droits de la personne et le litige en protection de l’enfance” in Karine Poitras, Claire Baudry & Dominique Goubau, eds., L’enfant et le litige en matiĂšre de protection: psychologie et droit (QuĂ©bec: Presses de l’UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec, 2016) 185–209 (with Nicholas Bala).
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“Shifting Scrutiny: Private Ordering in Family Matters in Common-Law Canada” in Frederik Swennen, ed., Contractualisation of Family Law – Global Perspectives (Dordrecht: Springer, 2015) 93–112.
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“Introduction: After Legal Equality” in Robert Leckey, ed., After Legal Equality: Family, Sex, Kinship (Abingdon: Routledge, 2015) 1–21.
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“Introduction” in Robert Leckey & Kim Brooks, eds., Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010) 1-18 (with Kim Brooks).
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"What Is Left of Pelech?" in Jamie Cameron, ed., Reflections on the Legacy of Justice Bertha Wilson (Markham: LexisNexis Canada, 2008) 103-29; also published as (2008) 41 Supreme Court L.R. (2d) 103-29.
Related Document: What Is Left of Pelech? [.pdf]

"Legislation and Bilingualism" in Michel Bastarache, ed., Language Rights in Canada, 2d ed. (Cowansville, Qc.: Yvon Blais, 2004) 37-139 (1st ed. by A. Braën).

"The Private Law of Language" in Bastarache, ibid., 453-525 (1st ed. by E. Didier).

French translations published in Michel Bastarache, ed., Les droits linguistiques au Canada, 2d ed. (Cowansville, Qc.: Yvon Blais, 2004).

Reviews

Review: Nausica Palazzo,ÌęLegal Recognition of Non-Conjugal Families: New Frontiers in Family Law in the US, Canada and EuropeÌę(Oxford: Hart, 2021)Ìę(2021) 35:1ÌęInternational Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, ebab038.ÌęRelated link:Ìę

Review: Alice Margaria,ÌęThe Construction of Fatherhood: The Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human RightsÌę(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019)Ìę(2021) 30:5ÌęSocial & Legal StudiesÌę810–13. Related link:Ìę

Review: Samir Shaheen-Hussain, Fighting for a Hand to Hold: Confronting Medical Colonialism against Indigenous Children in Canada (Montreal & Kingston: Âé¶čAV-Queen’s University Press, 2020) (2021) 36:1 Canadian Journal of Law and Society 183–4.
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Review: Libby Adler, Gay Priori, A Queer Critical Legal Studies Approach to Law Reform (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2018) (2020) 23:4 Sexualities 683–4.
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Review: Patrice Corriveau, Judging Homosexuals: A History of Gay Persecution in Quebec and France, trans. by KĂ€the Roth (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011) (2012) 50 Osgoode Hall Law Journal 275–82.

Review: Fiona Kelly, Transforming Law’s Family: The Legal Recognition of Planned Lesbian Motherhood (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011) (2012) 24 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law 482–488

Review: Sara Ahmed, The Promise of Happiness (Durham: Duke University Press, 2010) (2012) 24 Canadian Journal of Women and the Law 240–56 (with Margaret Denike, Elaine Craig, Kira Tomsons, and Kim Brooks).

Review: Richard Collier, Men, Law and Gender: Essays on the ‘Man’ of Law (Abingdon: Routledge-Cavendish, 2010); Richard Collier and Sally Sheldon, Fragmenting Fatherhood: A Socio-Legal Study (Oxford: Hart, 2008) (2011) 20 Social & Legal Studies 123–6.

Review article: “Language and Judgment’s Reach: Reflecting on Limits on Rights” (Luc B. Tremblay & GrĂ©goire C.N. Webber, eds., The Limitation of Charter Rights: Critical Essays on R. v. Oakes (Montreal: ThĂ©mis, 2009)) (2010) 60 University of Toronto Law Journal 1031-44.
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Review: Maurice Tancelin, Des obligations en droit mixte du Québec, 7th ed. (Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 2009), [2009] Uniform Law Review 1061-6.
Related Document:ÌęReview_of Maurice Tancelin Book [.pdf]

Review article: "Territoriality in Canadian Administrative Law" (2004) 54 University of Toronto Law Journal 327-64.
Related Document: Territoriality in Canadian Administrative Law [.pdf]

Conference proceedings

“Mixed Method, Controversy, and Abiding Influence” in Richard Janda, Rosalie Jukier & Daniel Jutras, eds., The Unbounded Level of the Mind: Rod Macdonald’s Legal Imagination (Montreal & Kingston: Âé¶čAV–Queen’s University Press, 2015) 41–6.

“Le passĂ© de l’adoptĂ© aux frontiĂšres du droit” in Institut canadien d’études juridiques supĂ©rieures, ed., Droits de la personne: La circulation des idĂ©es, des personnes et des biens et capitauxÌę(Cowansville: Yvon Blais, 2013) 487–504.

"Particular Justice: Michel Bastarache and Family Law" in Nicolas Lambert, ed., À l'avant-garde de la dualitĂ©: MĂ©langes en l'honneur de Michel Bastarache/At the Forefront of Duality: Essays in Honour of Michel Bastarache (Cowansville: Yvon Blais, 2011) 117-41.
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"Filiation and the Translation of Legal Concepts" in Eleanor Cashin Ritaine, ed., Legal Engineering and Comparative Law, vol. 2 (Geneva: Schulthess, 2009) 123-41.
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"Harmoniser le droit dans un espace multilingue et pluri-juridique: un point de vue canadien" [2008] Uniform Law Review 39-58.
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"Following Same-Sex Marriage: Redefining Marriage and the Impact for Polygamy" (2007) 2(1) Les ateliers de l’éthique: la revue du CRÉUM 30-35.
Related Document: Following Same-Sex Marriage: Redefining Marriage and the Impact for Polygamy [.pdf]

"Language Regulation in New Brunswick’s Private Sector" (2006) 32 Supreme Court Law Review (2d) 85.

Research reports

Economic Practices and Social and Legal Representations of Life Together: Portrait of Ontario (Montreal: INRS – Urbanisation Culture SociĂ©tĂ©, 2023) (with HĂ©lĂšne Belleau, Carmen LavallĂ©e & Maude Pugliese), 106 pp.
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“Introduction aux rapports d’experts” in Commission d’enquĂȘte sur le processus de nomination des juges du QuĂ©bec, Annexes (QuĂ©bec: Publications du QuĂ©bec, 2011) 101–12.

"Families in the Eyes of the Law: Contemporary Challenges and the Grip of the Past." 2009. IRPP Choices 15 (8), 44 pp. (refereed policy paper).
Related Link on irpp.org site: [.pdf]

Media articles

“Comment la loi 21 adoptĂ©e sous le bĂąillon a modifiĂ© la Charte quĂ©bĂ©coise,”ÌęLa Presse+ (14 June 2024, Dialogue, screen 6) (withÌęOscar Bourgeois).
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“Droit familial: Une rĂ©forme dĂ©jĂ  dĂ©passĂ©e?,” La Presse+ (29 March 2024, Dialogue, screen 8).
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“S’en prendre aux personnes trans comme stratĂ©gie politique,” La Presse+ (9 February 2024, Dialogue, screen 4).
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“Rendre la protection de l’enfance aux communautĂ©s autochtones,” La Presse+ (14 February 2024, Dialogue, screen 6).
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“Hastily Drafted Pronoun Policies Ignore the Nuances of Family and Child Protection Laws,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (5 October 2023) (with Samuel Singer and Florence Ashley).
Related link:ÌęPDF icon Leckey, Singer & Ashley, Globe and Mail Opinion, 5 October 2023

“What Role Will the Courts Play in Quebec's French-Language Law?,” CTV News (12 June 2022).
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“Projet de loi 96: DĂ©fis d’interprĂ©tation et le rĂŽle des tribunaux,” La Presse+ (11 June 2022, DĂ©bats, screen 12).
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“Gare à la politisation indue de la nomination des juges,” Op-ed, Le Devoir (26 April 2022, A7).
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"Bilan de la derniÚre année universitaire: Il y a toujours une place pour des campus vibrants," Op-ed, La Presse+ (21 April 2022, Débats, screen 8).
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“Le projet de loi 2 nĂ©gligerait certaines situations parentales,” Op-ed, Le Devoir (13 November 2021, B10).
Related link: PDF icon Le projet de loi 2 négligerait certaines situations parentales

“Affaire Ward et Gabriel. Quel espoir pour la dĂ©fense de la dignitĂ©?,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (6 November 2021, DĂ©bats, screen 11) (with Pierre-Gabriel Jobin).
Related link: PDF icon Affaire Ward et Gabriel. Quel espoir pour la défense de la dignité?

“,” Op-ed, CTV News (27 August 2021).

“,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (27 August 2021, DĂ©bats, screen 8).

“,” Op-ed, The [Toronto] Star (11 June 2021, A15).

“Droits des personnes trans et non binaires: QuĂ©bec a l’occasion de faire amende honorable,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (5 February 2021, DĂ©bats, screen 8).
Related link: PDF icon Droits des personnes trans et non binaires: QuĂ©bec a l’occasion de faire amende honorable

“Loi sur la laĂŻcitĂ© de l'État. L’indĂ©pendance de la magistrature,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (6 December 2019, DĂ©bats, screen 7).
Related link: PDF icon Loi sur la laĂŻcitĂ© de l'État. L’indĂ©pendance de la magistrature

“Quebec Could Face Compensation Claims for Bill 21 Harms,” IRPP Policy Options (10 October 2019).
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“Amid Bill 21, The Dreams of Quebec’s Openly Religious Law School Students Hang in the Balance,” Op-ed, National Observer (3 September 2019).
Related document: PDF icon Amid Bill 21, The Dreams of Quebec’s Openly Religious Law School Students Hang in the Balance

“Avoir ou ne pas avoir trois parents,” Op-ed, Le Devoir (27 August 2019, A6).
Related document: PDF icon 2019-august-leckey-avoir_ou_ne_pas_avoir_trois_parents-le_devoir.pdf

“The Faulty Received Wisdom around the Notwithstanding Clause,” IRPP Policy Options (10 May 2019).
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“Loi sur la laĂŻcitĂ©: un bien pauvre projet de sociĂ©tĂ©,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (26 March 2019, DĂ©bats, screen 5).
Related document: PDF icon Loi sur la laïcité: un bien pauvre projet de société

“Un gouvernement de sondeurs ou de leaders,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (4 April 2019, DĂ©bats, screen 6).
Related document: PDF icon Un gouvernement de sondeurs ou de leaders

“Quebec’s Religious Symbols Ban Is Striking Not for Its Novelty, But for Its Unfortunate Familiarity,” Op-ed, CBC (5 April 2019).
Related document: PDF icon Quebec’s Religious Symbols Ban Is Striking Not for Its Novelty, But for Its Unfortunate Familiarity

“Fifteen Years after Equal Marriage, and Much Work to Be Done,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (12 June 2018, A15).
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“SystĂšme de justice: l’heure du ‘buffet ouvert’ est rĂ©volue,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (23 April 2018, DĂ©bats, screen 7).
Related document: PDF icon SystĂšme de justice: l’heure du ‘buffet ouvert’ est rĂ©volue

“Projet de loi sur la neutralitĂ© religieuse de l’État: des retombĂ©es qui risquent d’ĂȘtre minces,” Op-ed, La Presse+(18 October 2017, DĂ©bats, screen 6).
Related document: PDF icon Projet de loi sur la neutralitĂ© religieuse de l’État: des retombĂ©es qui risquent d’ĂȘtre minces

"Teaching Âé¶čAV law students about indigenous legal traditions," The Montreal Gazette (5 January 5, 2017)
Related document: PDF icon Teaching Âé¶čAV law students about indigenous legal traditions

“Les commissions d’enquĂȘte en cinq actes,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (22 December 2016, DĂ©bats, screen 2).
Related document: PDF icon Les commissions d’enquĂȘte en cinq actes

“Picking a Judge Is a Subjective and Political Choice,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (18 October 2016, A11).
Related document: PDF icon Picking a Judge Is a Subjective and Political Choice

“QuĂ©bec doit agir rapidement: L’intĂ©rĂȘt des enfants nĂ©s de mĂšres porteuses exige que le gouvernement se penche sur cette question,” Op-ed, La Presse+ (26 January 2016, DĂ©bats, screen 4).
Related document:ÌęPDF icon QuĂ©bec doit agir rapidement

“There’s No Room for Delay When Charter Rights Are Being Violated,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (12 January 2016, A12).
Related document: PDF icon There’s No Room for Delay When Charter Rights Are Being Violated

“One More Hurdle for Transgender Youth,” Op-ed, The Gazette (9 September 2015, A23) (with Kimberley Manning).
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“Julie Snyder face Ă  l’incohĂ©rence des lois,” Op-ed, Le Devoir (6 July 2015, A7).
Related document: Julie Snyder face Ă  l’incohĂ©rence des lois

“Les nouvelles sources de la vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© familiale,” Op-ed, La Presse (2 July 2015, A15).
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“Gay Marriage Another Step on the U.S. Road to Social Justice,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (26 June 2015).
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“Ottawa Must Now Draft an Assisted-Suicide Law. It Should Look to Quebec,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (6 February 2015).
Related document: PDF icon Ottawa Must Now Draft an Assisted-Suicide Law. It Should Look to Quebec

"Canada's misguided approach to HIV," Op-ed, The Toronto Star (30 November 2014)
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“DĂ©nonciations: Quelques distinctions s’imposent,” Op-ed, La Presse (12 November 2014, A20).
Related document:Ìę PDF icon DĂ©nonciations: quelques distinctions s'imposent [.pdf]

“Assisted Suicide: Parliament’s Delinquency,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (16 October 2014, A11).
Related document: PDF icon Assisted Suicide: Parliament’s Delinquency [.pdf]

“Ottawa Must View Sex Work through a Bigger Lens,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (9 September 2014).
Related document: Ottawa Must View Sex Work through a Bigger Lens [.pdf]

“Soyons fidùles à nos droits et valeurs,” Op-ed, La Presse (12 June 2014, A26).
Related document: Soyons fidĂšles Ă  nos droits et valeurs [.pdf]

“InfertilitĂ© et assurance ‘maladie’?”, Ă©ditorial, Le Soleil (3 May 2014, 34).
Related document: InfertilitĂ© et assurance ‘maladie’? [.pdf]

“Has the Supreme Court Made Harper an Accidental Reformer?,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (25 April 2014).
Related document: Has the Supreme Court Made Harper an Accidental Reformer? [.pdf]

“À votre tour de vous faire entendre”, Ă©ditorial, La Presse (16 April 2014, A17).
Related document: À votre tour de vous faire entendre [.pdf]

“The Essential Question Raised by Bill 60,” Op-ed, The Gazette (7 February 2014, A17).
Related document: ÌęThe Essential Question Raised by Bill 60 [.pdf]

“La vraie question,” Op-ed, La Presse (29 January 2014, A16).
Related document: La vraie question [.pdf]

“Gay Rights: Battle is far from won,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (13 December 2013, A15).
Related document:ÌęGay Rights: Battle is far from won [.pdf]

“Une rĂ©forme prĂ©maturĂ©e,” Op-ed, La Presse (9 December 2013, A23).
Related document: Une réforme prématurée [.pdf]

"Quebec should be as tolerant of religious diversity as it has been of sexual orientation." Op-ed, The Gazette (19 September 2013, A19) with Prof. Robert Wintemute, KCL.
Related Document: Quebec should be as tolerant of religious diversity as it has been of sexual orientation [.pdf]

“A Decade of Same-Sex Marriage in Ontario,” Op-ed, Ottawa Citizen (10 June 2013, A9).
Related Document: A Decade of Same-Sex Marriage in Ontario [.pdf]

“After a Decade of Same-sex Marriage, Issues Remain,” Op-ed, The Gazette (10 April 2013, A19).
Related Document:ÌęAfter a Decade of Same-sex Marriage, Issues Remain [.pdf]

“Message to Ottawa: Gay Marriage Is Settled, Right?,” Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (14 January 2013, A11).
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“Gare Ă  l’inflation lĂ©gislative,” Op-ed, La Presse (25 October 2012, A27).
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"HIV Sex Ruling: What Criminal Law Shouldn’t Be Saying", Op-ed, The Gazette (11 October 2012, A17).
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"It Takes More Than a Verdict to Win Equality", Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (13 January 2012).
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"Cohabitants’ Battles Raises Hurdles for Charter Claims", Op-ed, The Lawyers Weekly (28 May 2010, 14, 16).
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"Le projet de loi 94 risque d'enfreindre la liberté de religion", Op-ed, Cyberpresse (15 April 2010).
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"L'union de fait: un droit dépassé", Op-ed, La Presse (4 November 2010, A27).
Related Document: L'union de fait: un droit dépassé [.pdf]

"Parentage Is about More Than DNA", Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (28 October 2010, A21).
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"Unmarried-Couples Law Hasn’t Kept up with the Times: Quebec Must Review the Rules in Light of Current Marriage Realities”, Op-ed, The Gazette (5 November 2010).
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“Être pùre, n’est-ce qu’une question de gùnes?”, Op-ed, Le Soleil (15 July 2009).
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"Adoptive Parents Aren't Second Best", Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (9 October 2009, A17).
Related Document: Adoptive Parents Aren't Second Best [.pdf]

"Être pùre, une question de gùnes?," Op-ed, Le Devoir (17 July 2009, A9).

"Fatherhood Is Determined by More Than Just DNA", Op-ed, The Gazette (10 July 2009, A17).
Related Document: Fatherhood is determined by more than just DNA [.pdf]

"Legal Fatherhood Must Be Determined by More than DNA", Op-ed, The Vancouver Sun (4 August 2009, A9).

"Legal Strangers", Op-ed, National Post (11 February 2009, A13).
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"Too Many Unmarried Couples Are Ignorant of the Law", Op-ed, The Gazette (18 July 2009, B7).
Related Document: Too Many Unmarried Couples Are Ignorant of the Law [.pdf]

"Une réforme qui sape le sens de l'adoption", Op-ed, Le Devoir (22 October 2009, A9).
Related Document:ÌęUne reforme_qui sape le sens de l'adoption [.pdf]

"Lest We Forget", Letter to the Editor, The Globe and Mail (13 June 2008, A14).

"The World Needs More Canada", Letter to the Editor, The Globe and Mail (13 August 2008, A12).

"Cuts Like a Knife," Letter to the Editor, The Globe and Mail (2 October 2006, A14).

"The PM Is Not Championing a Tradition of Marriage," Op-ed, The Globe and Mail (5 October 2006, A19).
Related Document: The PM Is Not Championing a Tradition of Marriage [.pdf]

"The Marriage Debate," Letter to the Editor, The Globe and Mail (20 June 2003).

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