SOC109 Lecture 18

Summary

  • In the SOC109 Lecture 18, the focus was on legal mobilization and its role in lawmaking, with a detailed example of Mark Andrews' lawsuit against the Law Society of British Columbia for denying his admission to the bar due to citizenship status. This case highlighted the process of translating claims into legalese, forming alliances, and climbing the ladder of appeals, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Andrews Test which redefined how section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is applied. The lecture underscored that litigation can make law, and individual cases can have a significant impact on legal frameworks and societal norms, demonstrating the dynamic nature of the charter as a living document whose interpretation evolves through judicial review.