At a moment when democratic institutions face increasing strain, The Rule of Law: Religion, Nationalism, and Abuses of History gathers decades of parliamentary speeches and reflections that confront one enduring question: What sustains the rule of law?

Drawn from service in the Senate of Canada, these speeches trace the fault lines of modern political life — nationalism and democracy, Quebec and constitutional change, foreign policy and moral responsibility, war crimes legislation, peacekeeping, NATO expansion, and Canada’s evolving place in the world. Moving between domestic debate and international crisis, the author returns repeatedly to a central concern: how fragile legal and democratic norms can become when history is misused and power goes unchecked.

Both a record of public life and a meditation on governance, The Rule of Law: Religion, Nationalism, and Abuses of History offers readers an inside view of parliamentary debate at the end of the twentieth century — and a timely reflection on the precarious state of the rule of law in our own time.

Offers a rare insider perspective on parliamentary process, public policy, and diplomatic engagement

A curated collection of Senate speeches spanning key debates in Canadian political life at the end of the twentieth century

Addresses major national issues including Quebec, constitutional reform, and the tensions between nationalism and democracy

Explores Canada’s role in global affairs, with discussions of NATO, peacekeeping, trade, and international law