Robert Charney is General Counsel at the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. He received his LL.B. in 1981 from the University of Windsor and his LL.M. in 1983 from Columbia University. He has been with the Ministry of the Attorney General since 1984, where he has advised the Ontario government on constitutional issues and represented the government in constitutional cases at all levels of court. He has appeared as counsel for the government of Ontario in the Supreme Court of Canada in more than twenty cases relating to the Charter of RIghts and Freedoms, including Adler v. Ontario (public funding for private religious schools) and M v. H (equality rights for same-sex partners).

He is an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School (since 1996), and has taught Constitutional Law and Litigation at Osgoode Hall Law School, University of Windsor Law School, and the University of Haifa Law School. He has published numerous articles in legal journals on constitutional law and theory, including articles on freedom of expression, religion and association, voting rights, equality rights, collective bargaining, civil procedure and evidence. He is a frequent guest speaker in legal and other professional conferences across Canada.

Robert Charney attended Mackenzie from 1972-1976, and was Student Council President from 1974-75.