First Year: Constitutional Law C (LAW138Y1Y)

This course maps out the evolution of the Canadian Constitution -- from its colonial origins to independence and from legislative supremacy to the entrenchment of judicially enforced constitutional rights. We study the Constitution’s complex amalgamation of informal and informal elements as well its regard for tradition and modernization, with emphasis on judicial interpretation of constitutional text, elucidation of constitutional principles, and doctrinal framing. The course begins with the study of legal federalism and then moves on to consideration of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) and Aboriginal and Treaty rights.