Charter Rights and Values in the Administrative State:
Where is Doré?

Friday, May 8, 2026 at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia

This workshop will bring together a group of scholars and practitioners working in administrative and constitutional law to reflect on Doré’s legacy, its critics, and recent jurisprudence to understand the possible paths forward. Since its inception in 2012, the strength of reviewing courts’ commitment to the framework set out in Doré v Barreau du Québec has proved inconsistent at best. The Supreme Court of Canada’s recent decisions in Commission scolaire francophone des TNO (2023) and York School Board (2024) represent a significantly incursion into the doctrinal terrain. How should we understand their impact? Have these cases brought the Doré framework back to life, placing renewed emphasis and clarity on the role of statutory interpretation, practices of justification under the Charter, the treatment of Charter rights and values, and the applicable standard of review in constitutional matters? Or have they arguably narrowed or displaced  Doré’s framework?  This workshop will explore both what has changed and what remains unresolved in the Charter-administrative law relationship moving forward.

The workshop is co-sponsored by the Peter A. Allard School of Law, the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta, and Circle Barristers.