507 Canadian Human Rights Law (Kully)

LAW507

Canadian Human Rights Law

(Kully)

Prerequisite courses: None

Prerequisite for:

Instructor(s): Jason Kully

Course credit: 3

Method of presentation: Lecture

METHOD OF EVALUATION

• Draft Human Rights Complaint and Response to Complaint:

  • • Students will be provided sets of facts and will be required to draft a Human Rights Complaint and a Response to a Complaint that will collectively be worth 40% of the Students’ final grade.

• Written Memorandum/Opinion:

  • • Students will be provided a set of facts and will be required to provide a written memorandum/opinion to their client identifying and assessing the relevant human rights issues. This memorandum/opinion will be worth 60% of the Students’ final grade.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is an introductory course on Canadian human rights law, with a focus on the application of the law in practice. The course will discuss the concepts and jurisprudence emerging from human rights legislation across Canada, with a focus on Alberta, and will prepare students to identify and address human rights issues as they occur in practice.   

This course will be taught via lectures, supplemented with powerpoints, which will address the legal issues that are important to human rights practice. In most lectures, time will be taken to engage in group discussion of sample problems related to the issue of the week to develop practical skills involved in the practice of human rights law (e.g. issue spotting, elements of a proper complaint and response, written advocacy etc.). 

Topics addressed in the course include: 

• Protected grounds of discrimination – what are they and what do they mean? 

• Protected areas of discrimination -  what are they and when are they engaged?

• Prima facie discrimination – the legal test now and how has it evolved

• Defences to discrimination - bona fide occupational requirements and duty to accommodate 

• Remedies under human rights legislation 

• Human rights tribunal complaint and hearing processes

SPECIAL COMMENTS

Description updated 2023-24. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):

Cases and Statutory materials as assigned. Electronic casebook will be provided.