Maya Gazit, whose research focuses on comparative constitutional law, constitutional theory and democracy, was one of 18 PhD students recently recognized by the Foundation, named after the former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
“I'm honoured to receive the Trudeau Foundation Scholarship and am grateful for the opportunity to pursue research on constitutional democracy at the University of Ottawa,” said Gazit. "At a time when democratic backsliding is affecting countries across the world, I believe comparative constitutional law has an important role to play in understanding these processes and identifying institutional safeguards against them. In these troubled times, it is especially important to study how democratic institutions can be protected from abuses carried out through the constitutional system itself."
She completed an LL.M. in Legal Theory at the University of Toronto and holds an LL.B. and an M.A. in Public Policy from Reichman University in Israel.
Before beginning her academic career in Canada, she practiced law in Israel and served as a senior law clerk at the Supreme Court of Israel. During her clerkship, she worked on constitutional and administrative cases amid intense institutional strain following controversial 2023 judicial reforms.
The Trudeau Foundation describes the 18 Scholars, selected through a rigorous process led by external committees, as “the next generation of thinkers and changemakers, voices shaping Canada’s future and the conversations that guide it.” The Scholars are chosen not only for their academic excellence, but also “for their dedication and capacity to share and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of others.”
The scholarship includes an annual stipend of up to $50,000 for three years to cover tuition and living expenses and an annual allowance of up to $20,000 for three years to support research, networking, and travel related to the doctoral project and Foundation programming.
But the Scholarship Program goes far beyond financial assistance. It is an opportunity for PhD students to join a “stimulating and transformative community whose common interest is to contribute to a better future for Canada and the world.”
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation was created in 2001 as a living memorial to the late former prime minister. The Foundation supports cutting-edge research in the humanities and social sciences. It supports students pursuing a PhD, honours top researchers and builds strong connections with leading figures in the professional field. Since its creation, $131 million has been invested, including 344 Scholars.
Professor Michael Pal, her supervisor, said he is “absolutely delighted” for Maya. “This recognition shows the quality of her research and the importance of her work on constitutional democracy. As a former Trudeau Scholar during my own doctorate, I know how much the intellectual environment and support of the Foundation will mean for her.
“The award is also a great testament to the calibre of doctoral students that we have at uOttawa and in the Faculty of Law."
Gazit’s research examines “abusive constitutionalism” – the strategic manipulation of constitutional mechanisms to consolidate power and undermine democracy – and explores whether courts can play a meaningful role in responding to such practices.
“My research examines abusive constitutionalism as an emerging and increasingly urgent phenomenon in comparative constitutional law. In an era of rising populism and democratic decline, the manipulation of constitutional forms has become a pervasive threat to democratic governance.”
She will analyze three principal forms of abusive constitutionalism:
- abuse by constitutional amendment, where amendment authority is exploited to achieve narrow, short-term political advantages;
- abuse by constitutional replacement, where an entire constitution is manipulatively replaced to accommodate the ruling regime; and
- abuse through the invocation of constitutionally granted powers, where existing constitutional powers are strategically deployed to entrench authority.
The Faculty of Law congratulates Maya Gazit on this outstanding achievement and wishes her continued success in her research and academic career.