Constitutional Roundtable with Prof Hans Michael Heinig
FL219 John Willis Classroom
The David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights’ Constitutional Roundtables are an annual series of lunchtime discussion forums that provide an opportunity to consider developments in Canadian constitutional theory and practice and comparative constitutional law. The Constitutional Roundtable series promotes scholarship and aims to make a meaningful contribution to intellectual discourse about Canadian constitutional law.
We are pleased to be hosting Professor Hans Michael Heinig for a lunchtime Constitutional Roundtable on September 9, 2026 at 12:30-2pm
John Willis Classroom, Flavelle House, Jackman Law Faculty, University of Toronto, 78 Queens Park
TITLE: Epistemic Function as an Argument: Conflicts of Interpretation Regarding Academic Freedom
In Person, All Are Welcome, No RSVP Required, Light Lunch provided
ABSTRACT: Academic freedom is a bundle of widely varying rights. Who exactly is protected and what exactly is protected, how it relates to freedom of expression, what boundaries should be drawn, and how conflicting dimensions of academic freedom relate to one another are highly controversial issues.
Furthermore, the understanding of academic freedom is shaped by path dependencies within the respective academic systems, constitutional culture, and differing conceptions of the roles of universities.
A key to better understanding these controversies—and to setting priorities—is the “epistemic function”—of science, academic freedom, and the university—in relation to other contributions (such as to economic prosperity or democratic culture).
Through the epistemic function, issues such as organization and participation, dealing with political protest on campus, accusations of (pseudo)scientific activism, the organization of state research funding, and the relationship between inclusion, non-discrimination, and freedom of expression in universities can be addressed in a coherent manner.
BIO: Hans Michael Heinig, Chair for Public Law, Göttingen University. Dean of the Law Faculty 2022-2024 Vice Chair of the Society for Public Law (Staatsrechtslehrervereinigung). Visiting Professor at Munk School, UofT, 2024/2025..