On September 19, 2025, the University of Alberta hosted the Unwritten Constitutionalism Symposium, a one-day event that placed Canada’s unwritten Constitution at the centre of discussion. The symposium was co-presented by the University of Ottawa Public Law Centre, the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta, the Barton Chair at Carleton University and the Unwritten Constitutional Norms and Principles Project.
Unwritten constitutionalism and the range of research questions it raises is generating a new wave of discourse around the world. Beyond the text of the Constitution, conventions, principles and norms play a crucial role in shaping democratic governance. This symposium brought together both emerging and established scholars to explore how unwritten rules operate within Canada’s constitutional order and to situate Canadian debates within a wider global context.
The program featured a range of panels addressing different dimensions of the theme. The discussions were stimulating and included a diversity of perspectives. Participants at all career stages raised fresh questions, challenged assumptions and offered new frameworks for understanding Canada’s evolving constitutional order.
The symposium also marked the beginning of a longer collaborative project. A selection of the contributions will be published in a forthcoming special issue of the Review of Constitutional Studies, co-edited by Professor Vanessa MacDonnell and Dr. Seána Glennon (University of Ottawa Public Law Centre), Professor Richard Mailey (Centre for Constitutional Studies, University of Alberta) and Professor Philippe Lagassé (Carleton University).
By showcasing a wide range of perspectives and advancing innovative scholarship, the Unwritten Constitutionalism Symposium underscored the importance of looking beyond Canada’s written constitutional text. It highlighted how unwritten principles, conventions and norms continue to shape the machinery of government - and how these unwritten elements remain central to understanding the Canadian constitutional tradition.
Find out more: https://www.constitutionalstudies.ca/events/unwritten-constitutionalism-symposium/
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