496 Legal History (Muir)

LAW496

Legal History

(Muir)

Prerequisite courses:

Prerequisite for:

Instructor(s): Professor James Muir

Course credit: 3

Method of presentation: Seminar / Other

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Small writing assignments: 40%

Participation: 40% (see Course Description below for details) Moot: 20%

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a course on the constitutional history of Canada, taught primarily through games and seminars, with short lectures and some other media. The first half of the course deals with Confederation; the second half with Patriation. Students will leave the course with a deeper understanding of the contents of the constitution and the law, history and politics of Canadian constitution-making.

During the games, students will write and negotiate elements of the constitution, representing the parties at the 1864 Quebec Conference and 1981 Patriation conference. At the conclusion of each half, some of the students will moot an issue arising from the constitution of the era.

No prior knowledge of Canadian history or politics is expected or necessary.

SPECIAL COMMENTS

Description updated 2019-20. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):