Children and the Law (LAW303H1S)

At a Glance

Second Term
Credits
3
Hours
2

Enrolment

Maximum
25
21 JD
4 LLM/SJD/MSL/NDEGS/SJD U

Schedule

M: 2:10 - 4:00
Instructor(s): Jeffery Wilson

The Blackboard program will be used for this course. Students must self-enrol in Blackbaord as soon as confirmed in the course in order to obtain course information.

The course begins with a true story of one “Genie”, a modern day “Wild Child” who becomes a feeding ground for parasitic professionals everywhere. It ends with another true story of children and youth in Myanmar (Burma) and a submission to a “Committee on the Rights of the Child” in Geneva. Linking the stories is the course syllabus that is designed to inspire students to appreciate that there is a grammar of law in and outside of Canada affecting youth and children, more than simply that of “best interests of child”, and there are advocacy opportunities to necessarily unpack the assumptions that underlie the distinguishing treatment of youth and children from that of adults.

The materials include a textbook on the subject matter and a supplementary course book full of tales from the annals of “best interests of child” jurisprudence.

Evaluation
1. Class participation based upon attendance and fulfillment of class oral discussion and group work:(33.3%); 2. Individual or team written or oral advocacy exercise or submission presented during the class: (33.3%); and 3. Four short written assignments each not more than 1000 words: (33.3%)