NEW: The War Against the Rule of Law

On Mar 30th, we present : "The War Against the Rule of Law" by Prof. David Dyzenhaus, DPhil, BA, LLB

The rule of law is a cornerstone of democratic government — but today it’s under pressure around the world, including in Canada. Even more troubling: the threat is often coming from the law itself.

In this lecture, Dr. David Dyzenhaus explores how legal arguments are increasingly being used to weaken democratic institutions while claiming to defend the “common good.” Drawing from legal history and political theory, he examines how influential scholars in the United States and the United Kingdom are promoting ideas that challenge core democratic principles.

Through comparisons with historical legal systems — including Carl Schmitt’s influence on authoritarian legal thought, the legal structure of apartheid South Africa, and the legal status of enslaved people in the pre-Civil War United States — this lecture reveals how law itself can become a tool for undermining the rule of law. Professor Dyzenhaus will also discuss why these developments should concern Canadians today.

💡 About the highly accomplished Professor David Dyzenhaus, DPhil, BA, LLB

David Dyzenhaus is University Professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.

Dyzenhaus has taught around the world, including in South Africa, England, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Hungary, Mexico, and the United States. His work explores constitutionalism, legal philosophy, and the rule of law in times of political crisis. In 2014-15, he was the Arthur Goodhart Visiting Professor in Legal Science in Cambridge, in 2016-17, a Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, in 2020-21, a Guggenheim Fellow and a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and in 2024-25 he held a Humboldt Research Award at the Freie Universität, Berlin.

He is the author of several influential books, including Hard Cases in Wicked Legal Systems, The Constitution of Law, and The War Against Law: What’s Wrong with Common Good Constitutionalism.

📅 Date: March 30, 2026
🕡 Time: 6:30 – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Near Union Station, Downtown Toronto. The exact location will be emailed to you via the email you use while purchasing the ticket.
🎤 Speaker: Professor David Dyzenhaus

Expect a provocative look at the relationship between law, democracy, and power — and what’s at stake when the rule of law itself becomes contested.

🎟 Seats are limited!

❗️Please note: the location in this eventbrite page is NOT the exact location, only indicates the general area. The exact location will be emailed to you via the email you use while purchasing the ticket. Keep an eye out in your inbox or spam folder a couple weeks before the event as well.

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