Module overview
This module will provide students with an understanding of the historical development, philosophical underpinnings, and structure of the Canadian legal system. In so doing, students will critically engage with the role of law in Canadian society, reflect on the plural nature of the country’s legal system, develop an awareness of the challenges to the efficient and equitable operation of the legal system, and examine the limits and possibilities of law as a vehicle for social change.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply comparative and critical approaches to a wide variety of legal and socio-legal issues relevant to the Canadian context.
- Identify and analyse in depth key policy issues.
- Think critically, develop coherent arguments, and communicate those arguments.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Indigenous self-government and Aboriginal rights.
- The plural and federal nature of Canada’s legal system.
- The structure the Canadian judiciary and the organisation of its legal profession.
- The development and partial codification of Canada’s constitution.
- The sources of Canadian law and the allocation of responsibility and authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Analyse and reflect upon the development and current state of Canada’s legal system in light of its cultural, linguistic, and religious context.
- Think critically about the role of law and the legal profession in Canada and in constitutional democracies generally.
- Compare and contrast the UK and Canadian legal systems in relation to pertinent legal issues, including the powers of sub-national governments and the judiciary vis-à-vis their respective national governments.
Syllabus
Topics covered may vary slightly from year to year but will typically include:
- Approaches to legal reasoning and adjudication;
- The sources of Canadian law—common, civil, and Indigenous;
- Federalism and the separation of powers;
- Constitutional reform and the patriation of the Constitution;
- Indigenous self-government, Aboriginal rights, and the Crown;
- The Canadian judicial system and the legal profession.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The Module is taught by means of a weekly 2-hour seminar. The subject matter, required readings, guiding questions, and any relevant supplementary material will be circulated in advance. You will be expected to have read the assigned materials in advance of each session and engage in classroom discussion and related activities.
Preparation for and participation in the weekly seminars will develop:
- The knowledge required to satisfactorily achieve the stated learning outcomes;
- Your ability to comprehend and comment critically on scholarly and legal analysis;
- Your capacity to synthesise ideas and information from a variety of sources;
- Your ability to engage in constructive debate and dialogue;
- Your organisational and time management skills.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Assessment tasks | 42 |
| Seminar | 24 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 72 |
| Wider reading or practice | 12 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Coursework
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback:
- Final Assessment:
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External