Beyond Elections: Mini-Publics as a Tool of Democratic Renewal with Dr. Seána Glennon
Across the world, democracies are grappling with declining trust, political polarisation and questions about how to involve citizens more meaningfully in public decision-making. One response has been the rise of deliberative mini-publics: innovative processes that bring together representative groups of ordinary citizens, selected by lot, to learn, deliberate and make recommendations on complex legal and policy issues.
In this event, Dr. Seána Glennon, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, will introduce the idea of deliberative mini-publics and explore how they are being used globally as a tool of democratic renewal. She will focus in particular on Ireland’s internationally recognised Citizens’ Assembly process, which played a pivotal role in shaping the reform of the country’s abortion law following a period of polarisation and political paralysis. Drawing on these experiences, the discussion will turn to the Canadian context: what can the Irish model teach us about tackling complex and divisive issues, and could similar approaches strengthen democracy in Canada?
This event includes a 45-minute discussion with a networking reception to follow.
Speakers:
Dr. Seána Glennon, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law
Sabreena Delhon (Moderator), CEO of the Samara Centre for Democracy
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Seána Glennon is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, where she researches constitutional law and democratic innovation, with a focus on citizens’ assemblies and their role in legal and policy reform. Her work forms part of the international Unwritten Constitutional Norms and Principles project, examining constitutional practice across the UK, Canada and Germany. She holds law degrees from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Toronto, and completed her PhD at University College Dublin, where her research examined the impact of Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on abortion law reform. A former practising lawyer in Dublin, she is qualified as a solicitor in Ireland, England and Wales. She is a regular media commentator on legal and political issues in Ireland and Canada and serves as a board member of the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre (I/CAN).