Final Appeal

Book excerpt: Appeal courts--including the Supreme Court of Canada--rule on the most contentious issues facing Canadian society: abortion, Aboriginal land claims, gay rights. The authors of this book have conducted extensive research into the nature and function of appeal courts and here present their findings. This book outlines how appeal court judges make their decisions and how they defend them; the role played by judicial discretion; regional differences in appeal court operations; and the increasingly controversial role courts play in policymaking. Final Appeal is a detailed analysis of the nature and operation of Canada's courts of appeal.