Foundations of Canadian Law (Adv) (M3049)

15 credits, Level 5

Spring teaching

On this module, you’ll be introduced to the structure of Canadian government and the different functions of Parliament, the executive, and the judiciary.

You’ll study:

  • the powers of judicial review
  • the constitutional constraints on judicial, legal and political power in Canada.

You’ll explore:

  • how to interpret statutes using the modern and dynamic approach to statutory interpretation
  • complex social and legal issues using different theoretical lenses
  • critical legal theory, law & economics and critical race theory.

The content for this module has been modelled on the National Committee of Accreditation (NCA) syllabus for Foundations of Canadian Law. It supports students who will be writing the NCA exam in Foundations upon return to Canada.

Teaching

55%: Lecture
45%: Seminar

Assessment

20%: Coursework (Test)
80%: Practical (Portfolio)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: