Review Essay of Mark Ribeiro, Limiting Arbitrary Power: The Vagueness Doctrine in Canadian Constitutional Law

Abstract

Mark Rebeiro's insightful book examines the doctrine of vagueness from Canadian constitutional law, the doctrine according to which a statutory provision can be struck down as invalid if a court finds that it is excessively vague. The vagueness doctrine implicates rule-of-law concerns related to fair notice and law enforcement discretion. This review explores Rebeiro's treatment of these issues, and the implications of the vagueness doctrine for the rule of law more generally.

Keywords: vagueness, rule of law, Canadian constitutional law