The Prerogative to Keep the Peace and the Limits of the Emergencies Act

In this episode of Runnymede Radio, we feature an original interview with Professor Philippe Lagassé (Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University). Lagassé discusses his recent writing on the possible existence of a Crown prerogative to “keep the peace” within Canada, and what this would mean for the constitutional foundations of executive power. Using the Emergencies Act and the 2022 Public Order Emergency as context, he considers whether statutory frameworks fully define the scope of emergency authority. The conversation explores the relationship between prerogative and statute, including whether unwritten executive powers may offer a deeper—yet often narrower—basis for executive action than legislation in moments of crisis.