1. People
  2. Dell, Brendan
photograph of Brendan Dell

Brendan Dell

Doctoral Student

He/Him

Political Studies

MA, Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy (University of Guelph); BAH, Criminal Justice and Public Policy

Doctoral Student

b.dell@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B301

Supervisors: Dr. Stéphanie Chouinard and Dr. Paul Gardner

Research Interests

Law and politics, courts, Canadian politics, federalism, constitutional law, rights, policymaking, criminal justice

Brief Biography

Brendan Dell is a SSHRC-funded (CGRS-D) doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Studies at ŸĆĐăֱȄ, working under the co-supervision of Dr. StĂ©phanie Chouinard and Dr. Paul Gardner. Brendan's research focuses broadly on Canadian law and politics. Specifically, his research explores the relationship between governments and the judiciary on constitutional issues (such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the division of powers). His dissertation explores and explains the strategic use of courts by provincial governments in constitutional cases.

Brendan has authored or co-authored articles and book chapters that have been published in the Canadian Journal of Political Science, the Ottawa Law Review, and other edited collections. He is also a Research Fellow at the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations. Previously, Brendan earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Public Policy and a M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy from the University of Guelph.

Selected Awards and Scholarships

SSHRC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral, 2026-28

Sir Edward Peacock Research Award, 2025, 2026

R. Samuel McLaughlin Fellowship, 2025-26

Ontario Graduate Scholarship, 2020-21, 2021-22 (declined), 2023-24, 2024-25, 2026-27 (declined)

SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master's, 2021-2022

Selected Publications

Dell, B., Gardner, P., & Sigalet, G. (2026). “Parliamentary Constraints on Constitutional Review in the Supreme Court of Canada” Canadian Journal of Political Science. Published online: 1–24, doi:10.1017/S0008423925100991.

Dell, B., & Puddister, K. (2025). “Consequences of Weak Parliamentary Rights Review: A Study of Harper-Era Mandatory Minimum Sentences” in Rights and Parliamentary Systems in Canada and Beyond, ed. Emmett Macfarlane. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Dell, B., & Harding, M. (2025) “A Culture of Rights or Governing like Judges? Assessing the Justin Trudeau Government’s Use of Charter Statements” in Rights and Parliamentary Systems in Canada and Beyond, ed. Emmett Macfarlane. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Dell, B., & McNabb, D. (2025). “Government Interventions in Constitutional Cases at the Supreme Court of Canada” Canadian Journal of Political Science 58(4): 963–970, doi:10.1017/S0008423925100450.

Dell, B. (2024) “Return to Smith: Canadian Courts’ Treatment of Harper-Era Mandatory Minimum Sentences (2008-2023)” Ottawa Law Review 55(2): 327–362, doi:10.7202/1114754ar.

Dell, B. (2024) “The Use of Former Supreme Court Justices by Governments: Assessing the Dangers” in Law, Politics, and the Judicial Process in Canada, eds. Morton, F.L., and Dave Snow. 5th edition. Calgary: University of Calgary Press.