In Memoriam: John T. (Jack) Saywell, 1929-2011

I was saddened this morning to learn that Jack Saywell, the widely-acknowledged founder of York University's history department and an emininent legal and constitutional historian, passed away last week. Saywell has been a hugely influential presence in Canadian political and legal history circles over the past six decades. His most recent major monograph, The Lawmakers, is essential reading for understanding the role of the courts, particularly the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in the evolution of Canadian federalism. A recent tribute to his influence, Framing Canadian Federalism, was recently co-edited by Penny Bryden and Dimitry Anastakis.

Our understanding of Canadian history is richer for the contributions of Jack Saywell. He will be sorely missed.

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