The Asper Centre is deeply engaged in impactful policy development and legal research that advances constitutional rights and freedoms in Canada. Through its Constitutional Advocacy Clinic, student working groups, and collaborations with external partners, the Centre tackles a wide range of policy and research initiatives—from equality rights and access to justice to democratic participation and police accountability.
Students at U of T Law play a central role in this work, contributing under the guidance of Asper Centre staff, faculty advisors and in partnership with leading legal organizations such as LEAF (Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund), the John Howard Society of Canada and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Together, we produce evidence-based, principled research and policy submissions that inform litigation, influence law reform, and strengthen constitutional dialogue.
Find our Policy Briefs HERE.
The Asper Centre also contributes to constitutional scholarship through the publication of workshop reports and edited volumes, which bring academic, judicial, and practitioner perspectives to bear on key Constitutional law, Charter Rights and public law issues.
Find our Books HERE and our Conference Reports HERE.
Growing the Asper Centre’s Research and Policy Mission
In January 2025, the Asper Centre welcomed its inaugural Research Associate, Rob De Luca, to help advance our mission of expanding research and policy development on emerging and underexplored constitutional issues in Canada.
This new phase of our research focuses on areas such as municipal governance, protest and assembly rights, and democratic participation, and builds on the Centre’s strong foundation of principled, evidence-based public law engagement.