LAW-30150 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

Law-20074 Foundations of Canadian Law

Description for 2024/25

Foundations of Canadian Law is designed to acquaint students with the basic tenets, sources, and structures of Canadian law. Canadian law is informed by legal principles from England, France, the United States and other jurisdictions, and the result is a uniquely Canadian approach to the content, interpretation and administration of law.
In this module, students will become acquainted with the judicial decision-making process in Canada, with the sources of Canadian law, with Canadian bijuralism, with the legal relationship between the state and the Aboriginal Peoples, and with the main theories that have influenced Canadian legal thought.

After completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate sound knowledge of the history, principles and main sources of the Canadian legal system, the Charter, aboriginal law and
administrative law
2. Understand and analyse the differences and similarities between the Canadian legal system and the UK legal system, specifically in terms of
the sources, structure and the Constitution.
3. Critically evaluate and apply key legal theories to Canadian law
4. Compare and analyse the different branches of the Canadian state and how they interrelate
5. Explain the special relationship between Aboriginal Peoples and the State and critically assess the impact of the Canadian legal system on
Aboriginal communities and other minority groups
6. Locate, critically evaluate and use cases, statutes, legal opinions, academic scholarship and non-legal sources relevant to key theories and
principles in Canadian law, aboriginal law, the Charter and administrative law

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically discuss the key features of the Canadian Legal System: 1
identify the sources of Canadian Law: 1
critically analyse the Canadian legal system in its historical, social and political context: 1
identify, conduct research into, and write critically about, a relevant contemporary research question around the Canadian Legal System: 1

Study hours

8 x 2 hour lectures
6 x 1 hour seminars
5 hours prep per seminar (total 30 hours)
2 x 2hr Assessment support sessions
30 hours research and writing of assessment
Independent study hours will include; reading set texts, preparing for taught sessions & researching topics to identify a meaningful research question.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment