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Political History Prize Best Article (English Language)
Bradley Miller. ‘A carnival of crime on our border’: International Law, Imperial Power, and Extradition in Canada, 1865-1883,” Canadian Historical Review vol. 90 no. 4 (December 2009).
In a carefully argued and meticulously researched study of the origins of Canada’s extradition law in the early years of Confederation, Bradley Miller showcases some of the important new directions in which Canadian political history is moving. “‘A carnival of crime at our border’: International Law, Imperial Power, and Extradition in Canada, 1865-1883” links the exercise of political and legislative authority in the early national period to the imperatives of imperial sovereignty, arguing that despite a decade of effort, the Canadian extradition law remained an “unwilling protegé” of both British and European precursors. This important article positions Canadian legislation firmly within the domestic, imperial and international contexts, illustrating both the multiple sites of negotiation for 19th century Canadian politicians and lawmakers, and also the ways in which a focus on domestic political activities can contribute to our understanding of power in an increasingly interconnected world.