Law

Canadian Constitutional Law in Comparative Perspective (Advanced)

Module code: M3069
Level 6
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Workshop, Seminar
Assessment modes: Computer based exam

This module introduces students to the history, structures, sources and nature of the Canadian Constitution. The module explores the distinctive history of the Canadian constitutional arrangements and the rich jurisprudence and academic literature on the Canadian constitution. The context of multi-national Canadian democracy provides a particularly interesting case study for an examination of Constitutional contestation and the module explores how this context has influenced the structure of the Canadian state, including Canadian federalism, constitutional change in Canada and the adjudication of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1982 through the courts.

Module learning outcomes

• Articulate a systemic understanding of the Canadian Constitutional legal framework.
• Evaluate Canadian Constitutional Law arrangements comparatively in the context of other constitutional frameworks.
• Analyse and give critical evaluation of academic sources on the Canadian Constitution and on its case-law including dissenting judgments.
• Apply the concepts and doctrines of Canadian constitutional jurisprudence to novel situations.