The CBA Public Sector Lawyers Section presents:

Protecting Parliamentary Democracy in “Plague” Times: Accountability and Democratic Institutions During the Pandemic

May 28, 2020 | 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern
Teleconference

The program will discuss why and how Parliament and Legislatures must be able to carry out their functions of legislating and holding the government to account during the COVID-19 pandemic. The continuation of democratic institutions is not only political but also required by the constitution. How this can happen, given the requirement of physical distancing, presents numerous legal as well as logistical issues that will be explored and discussed.

Moderator

Melanie Mortensen, Chair, CBA Public Sector Lawyers Section and Legal Counsel, Indigenous Legal Relations Group, BC Ministry of Attorney General, Legal Services Branch

Speaker

Steven Chaplin, Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa, Common Law

Steven was Counsel then Senior Legal Counsel to the House of Commons for 15 years. He advised the House and represented it before all levels of court on constitutional issues and parliamentary privilege.