Revisiting the Duty to Consult Aboriginal Peoples

A look at ongoing change in a fundamentally important legal doctrine that affects Aboriginal communities, resource industries, and ultimately all Canadians.

The duty to consult has a fundamental importance for all Canadians, yet misunderstandings of the doctrine remain widespread; this book addresses those misconceptions.Since the release of The Duty to Consult (Purich, 2009), there have been many important developments on the duty to consult, including three major Supreme Court of Canada decisions. Governments, Aboriginal communities, and industry stakeholders have engaged with the duty to consult in new and probably unexpected ways, developing policy statements or practices that build upon the duty, but often using it only as a starting point for different discussions. Evolving international legal norms have also come into practice that may have future bearing. Newman offers clarification and approaches to understanding the developing case law at a deeper and more principled level, and suggests possible future directions for the duty to consult in Canadian Aboriginal law.