What does it mean to be a Canadian citizen? A new book from Professors Yves Le Bouthillier and Delphine Nakache explores the question

By Common Law

Communication, Faculty of Law

Research
Yves Le Bouthillier and Delphine Nakache
Every country has laws that govern the acquisition and loss of citizenship. While Canada’s model is not perfect, Canadian citizenship is more desirable than that of the vast majority of other countries in the world.

But recent years have seen controversial changes to the law surrounding how one acquires or loses Canadian citizenship. Professors Yves Le Bouthillier and Delphine Nakache have published a new book entitled Citizenship Law in Canada: Acquisition and Loss of Citizenship and Citizens’ Rights and Obligations (Thomson Reuters), which brings detailed analysis and novel insights to this complex area of Canadian law.

The book opens by analyzing the various provisions that describe how one can acquire citizenship in Canada. It then looks at the ways one could potentially renounce or lose their citizenship. Finally, the book breaks new ground in legal literature in Canada by focusing on the rights and obligations that come with being a Canadian citizen. Throughout the book, the authors have selected excerpts of relevant judicial decisions, followed by their own detailed comments on both these decisions and any subsequent legal developments. In doing so, the authors also frequently challenge readers to provide their own answers to current legal and policy issues in citizenship law.

In tracing the evolution of Canada’s Citizenship Act, Professors Le Bouthillier and Nakache suggest that the time is now ripe for a new Act. This book serves as both a detailed examination of the current state of citizenship law as well as a chance to ponder the questions of what a desirable Citizenship Act can look like and how Canadian law can meaningfully reach out to anyone who aspires to participate in Canadian society.

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