Professor Yan Campagnolo’s most recent book, Behind Closed Doors: The Law and Politics of Cabinet Secrecy (UBC Press), has been named to The Hill Times’ 100 Best Books in 2021. The book explores whether or not decision-making at the highest levels of government can maintain a tradition of secrecy in an era when the state executive is increasingly expected to be transparent and accountable to the public.
The legal and political rules that protect the confidentiality cabinet decision-making have come under intense scrutiny in Canada in recent years, especially in the context of the prosecution of vice-admiral Mark Norman and the SNC-Lavalin controversy. In Behind Closed Doors, Professor Campagnolo defends the idea of cabinet secrecy as an essential part of the proper functioning of responsible government. He nevertheless demonstrates that the statutory regime that protects cabinet secrecy at the federal level in Canada is excessively broad and possibly unconstitutional. As the only English book of its kind on the subject, it is a must read for public policy and legal scholars, as well as public officials and judges.
Congratulations to Professor Campagnolo!