This course examines the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including its relationships with international human rights and Indigenous constitutionalism. Blending theory and case law, we examine the nature and scope of fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, various legal rights, equality, the limitations of rights, and the notwithstanding mechanism. We will also examine the relationship between s. 35 Aboriginal and treaty rights, which are located outside of the Charter, and the Crown’s assertion of state sovereignty. 

This course examines contemporary issues in global health law from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students examine the historical development of global health, relevant actors and institutions (e.g. WHO, WTO, UNEP), regulatory frameworks (e.g. human rights and ethics, trade law, environmental agreements), principal coordinating mechanisms, and emerging challenges to effective global health governance. The course draws from different disciplines, including economics, ethics, history, international law, environmental law, medicine, political science, philosophy, and public health.

This course provides a general overview of international criminal law. Itl examines the sources and principles of international criminal law and the structure and powers of international criminal courts and tribunals. Topics include the elements of international crimes (genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression), defences and immunities, jurisdiction, victim’s rights, and principles of sentencing. The course approaches these issues from a critical perspective, situating each in historical, geographic, and political contexts.

This course examines international trade law and policy with a focus on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its regulation of trade in goods, services, intellectual property, technology, and foreign direct investment. We also consider regional free trade areas and preferential trade agreements such as the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

This course introduces students to refugee law as practiced in Canada. It covers the fundamental principles of Canadian refugee law and procedure, including the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, international treaties, administrative law and procedure, and the law of judicial review. The course will also explore the nature of fact-finding in the refugee status determination system, examining the challenges fact-finding and credibility determination in particular pose in the refugee law context.

This course surveys issues pertaining to climate change and the law at both domestic and international levels. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, it will situate the current climate crisis in context before going on to address the role of law and policy in thwarting or spurring effective action. Students will consider law’s strengths and weaknesses in solving complex problems, and how law might best interact with other tools and fields of inquiry in tackling contemporary challenges.

This course is offered to students who are selected to participate in national and international moot competitions. Offered in the Winter term, the course builds on JUR 305 Moots and Advocacy Skills by providing students with specialized training in legal research, drafting, and oral advocacy for their respective moots. Students who successfully complete their moot competitions will receive academic credit.

This course provides a range of skills necessary for effective advocacy in moot settings. Working with their professor and leading lawyers, students represent the Lincoln Alexander School of Law in national and international competitions with other law schools. Skills highlighted in the course include the interpretation and application of moot materials, legal research, written/oral advocacy, and teamwork. Academic Org Law School.

 This course deals with how childhood is conceptualized, constructed and regulated through statutory, common law and social science frameworks. It addresses issues surrounding conception, such as multiple parenthood, biological vs. non-biological parents, the role of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and their impact on parentage. It also deals with domestic and international adoptions, child protection, criminal justice, child labour, childhood and diversity, education, participation and empowerment, and the legacy of residential schools as revealed by the TRC.

This course explores historical, economic, policy, and human rights factors framing the theory and practice of immigration law in Canada and the role that lawyers play in the administration of both domestic and international immigration regimes. Topics examined include inland processing, refugee determination hearings, inadmissibility determinations, detention reviews, removals, and humanitarian and compassionate considerations. Students will also examine jurisprudence produced through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, judicial review, and significant international and comparative decisions.

Students explore the international context for relationships between private parties across jurisdictions. In doing so they gain an introductory understanding of the origin of and responses to conflicts of law and the role of international dispute resolution processes, while engaging in analysis of issues relating to topics such as merchant law, jurisdiction, and human rights. They also have opportunities to apply their learning through preparation of an international dispute resolution file, and related activities.

This course sheds light on the international legal system governing the rights and obligations of sovereign states in their interactions with one another and with non-state entities, such as international organizations and non-state actors. Students learn how international law is generated, the distinctive elements of international legal reasoning, and the manner in which international law interacts with domestic (particularly Canadian) law through legal reasoning, treaty negotiation, custom as well as “soft law.”

This course builds on the basic research and writing skills learned in the first year Legal Research and Writing course. Students will review and deepen their knowledge of primary and secondary research methods and will apply these skills to solving more complex legal problems, particularly those that engage with foreign and international jurisdictions. Students will learn the fundamentals of scholarly legal writing and prepare an article of publishable quality for submission to a law journal.

The Law of Armed Conflict, also known as International Humanitarian Law, sets out rules that aim to limit the harmful effects of armed conflict. This course will seek to explore the evolution of the laws of war from their origins to their modern day application. Students will be introduced to the law’s main sources (the Hague and Geneva Conventions, findings of international criminal tribunals), key concepts (international/non-international conflicts, combatants/non-combatants, protected persons) and the principles that aim to limit the means and effect of combat. The course will examine how the law of armed conflict is implemented, as well as the availability and efficacy of remedies. We will draw upon case studies, such as the use of drones and the transfer of detainees, to analyze the potential and the limits of the humanitarian law model.