Research themes

A manifold theme: the evolution of public law

Judges transform the constituting norms of the State every day, through court decisions that interpret rights and freedoms, Indigenous peoples’ rights and rules relating to the constitutional distribution of legislative powers.   

Political players shape the future of institutions every day, through political practices, conventions, intergovernmental agreements and the adoption of Acts and parliamentary resolutions.  

Under the influence of new theories of governance, the State’s administrative actions are recast every day, through renewed practices related to transparency, contractualization, negotiated law, experimentation, reflexive learning, etc.   

The CEDAC’s purpose is to study all of these changes – and also those occurring in the underlying political thought. This involves asking deep questions about the relationships between time, law and change with respect to the evolution of rights, institutions and political communities.

Creating connections between the past and present

Drawing on the long, rich tradition in public law at Université Laval’s Faculty of Law, the CEDAC showcases work on the history of ideas about the State and basic rights, and also the defining moments that have marked the evolution of administrative and constitutional law in Québec and Canada.  

Imagining and shaping the future

The CEDAC also tracks and anticipates, or at least accompanies, contemporary changes in public law. Academic research must be longitudinal, but there is a special place for work that anticipates, comments on and sometimes even influences the changes underway.  

Using new technologies, social media and collaborative platforms, the CEDAC watches and predicts jurisprudential and legislative changes to create a community of interest among researchers and the players in such change.