Two new books from Professor Terry Skolnik are shaping conversations on homelessness and police powers

By Civil law

Communication, Faculty of law

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Terry Skolnik
Professor Terry Skolnik has recently published two books that tackle critical issues at the intersection of law, society, and public policy. From the challenges of homelessness and public space regulation to the evolving landscape of police powers in Canada, his latest works offer profound insights and timely critiques.

In Homelessness, Liberty and Property (Cambridge University Press), Professor Skolnik examines the government's responsibilities to address homelessness, preserve the value of public property, and justify laws governing public spaces. The book provides fresh perspectives on how property law and public space regulations restrict the freedom and political equality of unhoused individuals. Professor Skolnik presents actionable proposals for reducing homelessness and ensuring that unhoused persons are treated with greater dignity and respect.

Professor Skolnik is also the co-author – alongside John W. Burchill, Richard Jochelson and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah – of a recently published book entitled Ancillary Police Powers in Canada: A Critical Reassessment(UBC Press).This book looks at how decisions written by judges have contributed to the creation of specific police powers – powers that give police sometimes controversial authority to investigate people in the pursuit of public safety and crime prevention. The authors examine these common-law police powers from a number of different perspectives, providing a detailed account of how such powers come to exist and whether or not such powers should be rescinded when they become controversial.

Ancillary Police Powers in Canada was recently named to the The Hill Times’ list of the 100 Best Books of 2024.

Professor Skolnik is currently on leave from the Faculty of Law, serving as a research professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (ASU), and serving as the executive director of the ASU’s Academy for Justice.