The Political Legitimacy of Cabinet Secrecy
51 The Political Legitimacy of Cabinet Secrecy Yan Campagnolo* La légitimité politique du secret ministériel La legitimidad política del secreto ministerial A legitimidade política do segredo ministerial 内阁机密的政治正当性 Résumé Abstract Dans le système de gouvernement In the Westminster system of re- responsable de type Westminster, les sponsible government, constitutional conventions constitutionnelles protègent conventions have traditionally safe- traditionnellement le secret des délibéra- guarded the secrecy of Cabinet proceed- tions du Cabinet. Dans l’ère moderne, où ings. In the modern era, where openness l’ouverture et la transparence sont deve- and transparency have become funda- nues des valeurs fondamentales, le secret mental values, Cabinet secrecy is now ministériel est désormais perçu avec scep- looked upon with suspicion. The justifi- ticisme. La justification et la portée de la cation and scope of Cabinet secrecy re- règle font l’objet de controverses. Cet ar- main contentious. The aim of this article ticle aborde ce problème en expliquant les is to address this problem by explaining raisons pour lesquelles le secret ministériel why Cabinet secrecy is, within limits, es- est, à l’intérieur de certaines limites, essen- sential to the proper functioning of our tiel au bon fonctionnement de notre sys- system of government. Based on the rele- * Assistant Professor, Common Law Section, University of Ottawa. This article is based on the first chapter of a dissertation which was submitted in connection with fulfilling the requirements for a doctoral degree in law at the University of Toronto. The research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. For helpful comments on earlier versions, I am indebted to Kent Roach, David Dyzenhaus, Hamish Stewart, Peter Oliver and the anonymous reviewers of the Revue juridique Thémis.
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