Course Offerings

Meets NCA requirements for Torts

The law of Torts deals with civil disputes between individuals that arise when the acts or omissions of one person cause injury or property loss, apart from breach of contract or unjust enrichment. This course is an introduction to concepts and case law relating to civil (i.e. non-criminal) disputes and civil liability arising from accidental or intentionally caused harms. The course examines the largest area of Tort law, the law of Negligence, which includes unintentionally caused injury to the person, damage to property, and harm to economic interests (including, in a distinct way, pure economic losses). Other major areas of Tort Law that will be examined are nuisance (unreasonable interference with the enjoyment of land), and intentional injuries whether to the person, property, or personal dignity and reputation. The course examines tort law within the context of changing social values, the deterrence of law, as well as corporate and governmental responsibility. The course emphasizes the uses of case law and actual tort litigation which explore topics from a theoretical and practical perspective.

LAW 503E Course Author: Dr. Robert Russo is the LLM CL Graduate Program Lecturer at the Allard School of Law.

Meets NCA Requirements for Property

This course introduces the conceptual foundations of property, the basic principles of property law, and the legal regime that regulates land ownership and the transfer of interests in land in British Columbia. At the outset, it asks students to consider the nature, sources and justifications of private property. It also introduces the idea that property is an evolving social institution, one that is defined by its social, legal, historical, and even geographical contexts. The course then works through the common law and statutory frameworks that regulate land ownership in the common law jurisdictions in Canada, with particular focus on British Columbia. This includes analysis of: the physical dimensions of land ownership; the doctrine of tenure; freehold and leasehold interests; Aboriginal title; equitable interests; shared ownership; security interests such as mortgages; covenants and easements; and the land title registration system.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, quizzes, and mid-term and final examinations.

LAW 504 Course Author: Professor Doug Harris is a full time member of the Allard School of Law.

Meets NCA Requirements for Canadian Constitutional Law
Meets NCA Requirements for Foundations of Canadian Law

This course will provide an overview of Canadian Public Law. Students will become familiar with the foundations of Canada’s legal system, the Canadian constitution, and the role of law in Canadian society.

The first part of the course will review the foundations of Canadian law and the division of powers between the Federal and Provincial governments. The second part of the course will focus on several rights and freedoms delineated in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The third part of the course will provide a brief introduction to how Canadian law regulates the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian state. Throughout the course, students will be required to think critically about the Canadian legal system, and will gain insight into the relationship between law, public policy, and administration in Canada. Students will also be encouraged to make comparative analyses between the Canadian legal system and the legal systems in their home states.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, mid-term writing assignment/s, and a final examination.

LAW 505 Course Author: Dr. Patricia Cochran teaches and researches in the areas of constitutional law, the law of evidence, and legal and political theory.

Meets NCA Requirements for Canadian Administrative Law

Administrative Law in Canada generally relates to governmental decision-making operating through decision-makers including individuals carrying out government functions, tribunals and courts. The body of administrative law is ubiquitous in Canada. It is Canadians’ most common contact point with the legal system. Studying it is also key to understanding other legal areas relating to immigration and refugees, human rights, environmental protections, labour relations, indigenous governance, municipal governance, natural resources, social benefits, health and safety, professional self-governance, and licensing. Administrative law generally concerns the proper exercise of public authority. It focuses on using courts and other decision-making processes to access government benefits and goods or to challenge abuses of public power. Administrative law permits judges to review the procedures and decisions of a variety of government decision-makers (e.g., agencies, arbitrators, boards, commissions, ministers, municipalities, and tribunals) to ensure compliance with the rule of law. The content reviewed in this course includes reviewing the fairness of administrative procedures such as individuals’ rights to participate in decisions affecting them in front of an independent, impartial and unbiased decision-maker. The course will also cover standards of judicial review, proportionality and remedies in administrative law. The content will include an examination of Aboriginal administrative law and covers principles of statutory interpretation relevant to administrative law.

Students will be evaluated on class participation and a final examination.

Law 509 Course Author: Dr. Robert Russo is the LLM CL Graduate Program Lecturer at the Allard School of Law

Meets NCA Requirements for Contracts

The law of contractual obligations and remedies involves the common law doctrines that relate to the formation, operation, and breach of commercial and consumer agreements between individuals. This course looks at the historical development and major substantive areas of the law of contract, including those that deal with: formation and enforceability; problems in the performance of contracts (conditions, warranties, misrepresentation, mistake, frustration); breach and remedies for breach; standard form consumer contracts; exclusion of liability clauses and unconscionability. We will also examine public and social policy issues relating to private law agreements and disputes in Canada.

Law 515 Course Author: Dr. Robert Russo is the LLM CL Graduate Program Lecturer at the Allard School of Law

Meets NCA Requirements for Canadian Criminal Law

This distance education course is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the key concepts of criminal responsibility and the criminal justice system in Canada. We will begin by examining the relationship between the sources of criminal law, how to interpret the Criminal Code, the burden and standard of proof in a criminal trial, the role and responsibilities of criminal lawyers, as well as pre-trial and trial procedure. The elements of offences, modes of liability, and defences will also be covered in detail. An overview of the purposes of sentencing and range of sentencing options will conclude the course.

The evaluation in this course is comprised of an assessment of participation (i.e. completion of end-of-unit quizzes and meaningful contribution to online discussion activities), a mid-term assignment, and a final examination.

LAW 525 Course Author: Associate Professor Benjamin Perrin is a full time member of the Allard School of Law

Meets NCA requirements for Canadian Professional Responsibility

This course provides an introduction to the regulation of the legal profession in Canada, which is self-governing through provincial law societies that set standards and regulate professional conduct.  The professional obligations of lawyers to clients also extent to other lawyers and the court and arguably to society in general.  Successful practice requires lawyers to consciously work to fulfill all these obligations.  This course is designed to prepare those who plan to enter the practice of law and to bring an appreciation and understanding of the highly regulated nature of the legal profession.  Sessions will consist of a mixture of video lectures, text readings, and online quizzes and discussions including student case and topic briefings.  Throughout the course, we will refer to the B.C. Law Society’s Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia and within that context discuss the ethical issues facing lawyers.  Some of these issues include ethics and the adversarial system; the balance between effective client representation and a commitment to the public interest, and; the professional obligations associated with specific practice roles and working with vulnerable clients.

The evaluation of this course will be through quizzes and a final exam.

Law 588 Course Author: Dr. Robert Russo is the LLM CL Graduate Program Lecturer at the Allard School of Law